Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson has expressed her profound "horror" at what she described as "sickening" crimes, after a nursery worker pleaded guilty to a series of sexual assaults on young children as they slept.
Guilty Plea to Harrowing Charges
Vincent Chan, 45, admitted to 26 charges at Wood Green Crown Court on Wednesday, 3 December 2025. The charges include five counts of sexual assault of a child by penetration and four counts of sexual assault of a child by touching.
He also pleaded guilty to 17 further offences related to indecent images of children, comprising 11 counts of taking and six counts of making such photographs. Detectives have indicated their investigation into his offending, which spanned several years, remains active.
System Failures and Immediate Government Response
Addressing MPs, Ms Phillipson confirmed that a full local child safeguarding practice review is being set up immediately to scrutinise the case and learn critical lessons. She revealed that CCTV may not have been operational at the nursery involved.
In response, the Education Secretary announced her intention to appoint an expert advisory group to develop new guidance for the early years sector on the safe and effective use of CCTV and digital monitoring devices.
"All of us here and people across our country will wish to join with me in expressing our horror at hearing of these appalling crimes," Phillipson stated in a powerful address to the Commons.
Victim Support and Nursery Closure
Chan worked for nearly seven years at the Bright Horizons nursery in West Hampstead, London, having passed necessary vetting procedures. The nursery has since closed its doors.
The families of the direct victims are receiving specialist support. Furthermore, the NSPCC is operating a dedicated helpline for all 700 families whose children attended the nursery during Chan's employment between 2017 and 2024.
The defendant's crimes first came to light in June 2024, when a colleague reported him for filming a child falling asleep in their food, setting the clip to music, and showing it to others. He was initially arrested on suspicion of neglect, dismissed from his post, and later re-arrested in September 2025 after forensic analysis of his devices uncovered the sexual offences.
A Pledge to 'Root Out Evil'
In a direct message to the nation's parents, Bridget Phillipson vowed relentless action. "My promise... is not only that justice will be served, but that we will strengthen the ways in which we keep children safe," she declared.
"We will root out abuse from wherever it hides, and we will never stop working to rid our society of this evil," the Education Secretary affirmed. The affected families are now pursuing legal action against the nursery chain, questioning how such predatory behaviour went undetected for so long.
A spokesperson for Bright Horizons said they were "shocked and appalled" by the crimes, extending their thoughts to the victims and committing to support the affected families.
