Paedophile nursery worker jailed for 18 years after 'wicked' sexual abuse of children

Amongst some of Mr Chan's worst crimes, he molested girls aged three and four while working at the Bright Horizons nursery in Finchley Road, West Hampstead, north London.

He also admitted to taking upskirting videos of schoolgirls in his previous job in a primary school, also in Finchley, as well as spying on women and girls getting undressed in their homes.

Chan pleaded guilty in December to 26 charges: five counts of sexual assault by penetration, four of sexual assault by touching, 11 of taking indecent images of children, and six of making indecent images of children.

In January at Highbury Corner Magistrates’ Court, he pleaded guilty to 30 new charges: 12 counts of taking indecent photographs of children, six of outraging public decency, sexual assault on a female, and 11 counts of voyeurism.

Chan was arrested on June 11 on suspicion of child neglect, and when his devices were analysed, police found “a large number of indecent images of children”.

He worked in IT support and as a high-level teaching assistant before becoming an early years practitioner in a nursery for nearly seven years.

His crimes first came to light when a colleague raised concerns about his behaviour after he shared disturbing videos of children at the nursery.

Chan was suspended on May 15, 2024, and 10 days later, the nursery made an official report to the local council.

In a victim impact statement issued through the Metropolitan Police, a representative of the families whose children attended the nursery said: “The impact of Vincent Chan’s actions upon our entire community has been profound.

“The knowledge that he was not only capable of such acts but committed them against children within the nursery has created a permanent ache in our hearts.

“The lasting trauma of ‘what if’ is powerfully felt throughout our community because of Vincent Chan’s actions.

“It offers no closure, no reassurance, no healing and no point at which anxiety can safely end or be meaningfully processed.

“The fear we feel about the cruel violation of our children will never dissipate.

“Ordinary memories from early childhood are now tainted with doubt, anxiety and guilt.

”Senior investigating officer Detective Superintendent Lewis Basford said: “Chan’s crimes are horrific, but we will not let his name overshadow today.

“Our foremost responsibility throughout has been to the victims – carrying out a meticulous investigation that established the extent of the offending and ensured Chan was held to account.

“I want to thank every victim and family who engaged with us during this traumatic process. Their trust enabled us to secure further charges and today’s significant sentence.

“I am also grateful to the community, our investigation team and the CPS for the valuable roles they played.

“To all those affected – our commitment to you does not end today. We remain by your side, and we will continue to ensure you receive the long-term support you need.”

Following the sentencing of Vincent Chan, Bright Horizons said: “This is a distressing time for families and all those impacted by Vincent Chan’s horrific crimes, and our thoughts are first and foremost with them. Keeping children safe is our most important responsibility. Vincent Chan broke that trust.

“Chan’s actions came to light because a staff member raised concerns and followed our internal escalation procedures. We then escalated externally to the local authority and Ofsted and worked with the police throughout their investigation.”

The nursery chain said it had carried out an external review of its safeguarding practices and has brought forward internal safeguarding audits and refresher training to make sure staff are aware of their obligations.

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