A teenage nursery worker has been jailed for ten years for raping a three-year-old boy, as the toddler’s devastated father hit out at the “cold, sinister and calculated” criminal.
Thomas Waller, 18, targeted boys in his care within days of being able to supervise children going to the bathroom, Guildford Crown Court heard.
He was previously found guilty of raping one three-year-old and sexually abusing another within weeks of him starting work at a nursery in Surrey in July 2024.
Sentencing him to 15 years in a young offender institution on Friday, of which he must serve 10 in detention and five on licence, Judge Claire Harden-Frost said it was “heartbreaking” to see the boys’ parents feeling responsible for what happened.
A nursery staff member told police Waller had been alone in the toilets with one of the boys, known as Child D, in August, after lunch. Officers later found his DNA on the child’s underwear, the court heard.
When Waller was arrested his phone was seized, police found indecent images pictures of another boy, known as Child T.
In a victim impact statement, Child D’s father said his son had “gathered a collection of memories that I would never wish on a human being”.
He described Waller as “cold, sinister and calculated”, adding “Tom cannot be allowed to do this again.”
Child D’s mother said her son had described Waller as his “new best friend”, adding that he had used his “skills” to “build trust with my son and then exploit him”.
“When my son told me what had happened I could not believe what I was hearing,” she said. “He did not know that what had happened to him was wrong. This man took advantage of that beautiful innocence.”
Criticising the nursery worker for not pleading guilty and putting them through a trial, she added: “This man has subjected my son and my family to additional trauma.”
The mother of Child T said she had felt “shock then confusion” when her son told her what had happened.
“Our baby boy was saying and doing things that no three-year-old should,” she said.
“I fear that one day (Child T’s) memories of what happened might return again. It could have an impact for the rest of his life.”
The trauma has left her crying herself to sleep at night as she struggles with guilt over sending her son to the nursery, the court heard.
“I believe he knew exactly what he was doing,” she said of Waller, adding: “His actions were deliberate and calculated.”
Judge Harden-Frost said Waller used his position at the nursery to sexually abuse the boys “within days of being able to supervise children going to the bathroom”.
“It’s heartbreaking that one of the effects of your actions is that the parents of your victims feel responsible,” she added.
Aphra Bruce-Jones, defending Waller, said he does not accept that he abused the children, but does accept that he has now been found guilty.
In mitigation, she claimed his offending was a result of “opportunism rather than deliberate isolation” and he had chosen to study childcare development “because of his childhood experiences”.
The nursery, which cannot be named for legal reasons, said they were “deeply shocked” and had taken “immediate action” when concerns were raised about Waller.
In total, he was convicted of one count of rape, two of causing a boy under 13 to engage in sexual activity and one of making an indecent photo of a child.
Rebecca Millardship, of the Crown Prosecution Service, said Waller’s crimes are “one of the worst nightmares imaginable for a parent”.
“They entrusted the care of their young children to Waller, who abused that trust in the most appalling way within weeks of starting his job at the nursery,” she added.
“He carefully planned his attacks on these three-year-old boys, deliberately isolating them from anyone else.
“It was our case that he focused on qualifications that would allow him to work at a nursery because he had a sexual interest in young children.
“We hope that today’s sentence brings some closure for the young victims in this case and their parents, who have all been through the most horrific ordeal.”
