A nursery employee has confessed to sexually assaulting young children under his supervision in north London.
Vincent Chan, 45 years old, appeared at Wood Green Crown Court, where he accepted guilt for 26 offenses, including sexual penetration of a minor, sexual touching, and creating indecent images classified under the most severe categories of child sexual abuse.
The inquiry into Chan was initiated following a whistleblower’s report and has been described by the Metropolitan Police as one of the most “harrowing and complex” investigations they have undertaken.
Residing on Stanhope Avenue in Finchley, Chan is scheduled for sentencing on January 23rd.
Judge David Aaronberg KC addressed the defendant, stating, “Mr. Chan, your guilty pleas pertain to offenses that will inevitably lead to a lengthy prison term.”
Chan first attracted attention for recording children at Bright Horizons nursery located on Finchley Road in West Hampstead, which has since shuttered.
During the investigation, police uncovered what detectives termed “deeply disturbing material” on devices belonging to Chan and iPads collected from the nursery.
They subsequently discovered video evidence of child sexual abuse occurring within the nursery, with some of the recordings made on nursery iPads.
Detective Superintendent Lewis Basford, who spearheaded the Met Police’s inquiry, remarked that the crimes had incurred “profound shock and distress” among the community.
Chan had undergone prior vetting through the Disclosure and Barring Service due to his previous roles as a karate instructor and school employee.
Of British-Chinese descent, Chan held various positions at the nursery, such as art specialist, room leader, and nursery nurse, during which he was responsible for children aged two to four.
As the charges were read, many family members of the victims were present in the courtroom, visibly emotional.
In the wake of Chan’s admissions of guilt, the parents of the victims issued a collective statement through their legal representative.
“As parents, we are still coming to terms with the horrific realization that our children endured vile abuse… We believe that Bright Horizons has let us down, and we seek answers.
“How was someone like Vincent Chan allowed to be employed there? How could such appalling crimes against children persist for so long without action from the personnel responsible for safeguarding at Bright Horizons nursery?
“We are alarmed that management and oversight failures at Bright Horizons enabled this abuse to remain hidden, and we are determined to hold those accountable for our children’s safety.”
