A former nursery worker who filmed himself sexually abusing girls as young as two has pleaded guilty to a horrific catalogue of offences, as detectives fear he may have targeted more children during his 17-year career.
A Calculated Predator in a Place of Trust
Vincent Chan, 45, from Finchley, north London, admitted to 26 charges at Wood Green Crown Court. The charges included five counts of sexual assault of a child by penetration and four counts of sexual assault by touching. He also pleaded guilty to 11 counts of taking indecent photographs of a child and six counts of making indecent images, some of which were in the most severe category of abuse material.
Chan, who wore a grey tracksuit and glasses in court, looked down and answered "guilty" to each count as it was read out. His admitted offences relate to four known victims, but the Metropolitan Police investigation remains active, with officers examining his conduct across nearly two decades of working with children.
Exploiting Nursery Technology for Abuse
The crimes came to light in May 2024 after an anonymous tip-off to the local authority. Chan had been employed at a north London nursery since 2017, where staff used iPads to document children's progress for parents. It is alleged he used this equipment to create disturbing and humiliating videos of the children for his own amusement.
He had shared non-sexual stills from these videos with colleagues, including one callous clip of a child falling asleep in their food, which he set to music and found humorous. He was initially arrested on suspicion of neglect, released on bail, and lost his job. The nursery has since closed. Further arrests for sexual offences followed in July and September 2025.
Ongoing Investigation and Community Impact
Detective Superintendent Lewis Basford stated the investigation is ongoing, with officers continuing to review digital devices. "Child sexual abuse is one of the most horrific crimes imaginable, and Chan's offending spanned years, revealing a calculated and predatory pattern of abuse," he said. "He infiltrated environments that should have been safe havens for children."
The families of the known victims are receiving specialist support. In a statement issued through law firm Leigh Day, they said: "We are still trying to process the sickening discovery that our children were subjected to despicable abuse... We trust the judge to pass the strongest sentence."
The NSPCC has launched a dedicated helpline for all 700 families whose children attended the nursery between 2017 and 2024. Kellie Ann Fitzgerald of the NSPCC said they were "shocked and horrified by the nature and scale" of the abuse.
Anyone with information is urged to contact the Metropolitan Police operation, Op Lanark, via met.police.uk or by calling 101, quoting reference CAD3697/1DEC. The NSPCC helpline can be reached on 0800 028 0828.
