The families of toddlers at a nursery where a paedophile attacked sleeping children have demanded to know how he was able to abuse “innocent victims who could not fight back”.
They said they were sickened by the discovery that the early-years worker Vincent Chan had apparently passed vetting procedures, and demanded answers about why safeguarding systems had failed so comprehensively.
Chan, 45, was hired at one of Britain’s largest nursery chains and used iPads from the classroom to film some of his attacks and perpetrate his abuse. About 700 parents of children attending during the time Chan worked at the nursery in London, from 2017 to his arrest by 2024, have been contacted by police.
His repeated offending while entrusted with vulnerable children was discovered by chance.
He pleaded guilty on Wednesday to 26 offences from 2022 to 2024, including attacks on four young girls aged two to four, whom he sexually assaulted on nursery premises, and offences relating to more than 25,000 indecent images of children.
Chan, of Finchley, north London, was employed at a now closed north London nursery run by Bright Horizons, one of Britain’s biggest providers of early-years care.
A review will establish whether safeguarding procedures were followed. Some parents are considering legal action against the nursery and told the Guardian complaints they had made to the nursery about Chan’s behaviour before his offending came to light had been ignored. Bright Horizons declined comment on that aspect but pledged cooperation with the review.
Chan’s attacks happened in broad daylight when the nursery was full of children and staff.
About 20 parents of children at the now closed nursery were at Wood Green crown court as Chan pleaded guilty to all 26 charges. Some stared at him as he stood in the dock, speaking only to confirm his address and utter “guilty”, sometimes barely audibly, to every count.
Cmdr Hayley Sewart said: “His responsibilities included feeding, clothing, cleaning and interacting with the children, tasks that required a high degree of trust and safeguarding.”
In a statement, some of the families described Chan’s unmasking as an attacker of children as a “sickening discovery” and his abuse as “despicable” against “innocent victims who could not fight back”.
But their statement also made clear the families’ anger at the nursery: “We feel that Bright Horizons has failed us, and we want answers. How was someone like Vincent Chan employed? Why did safeguarding systems fail completely? And how were such horrific crimes against children able to continue for so long without the staff responsible for safeguarding at Bright Horizons nursery acting?
“We are concerned that failures in management and supervision at Bright Horizons allowed this abuse to go undetected, and we are committed to securing accountability for our children.”
Alison Millar, a solicitor and partner at Leigh Day, said: “The families we are in contact with feel very strongly that there were major failings of safeguarding at Bright Horizons Finchley Road nursery. We look forward to the findings of the local child safeguarding practice review but there are many questions that need to be answered.”
The court heard that two children Chan had admitted offences against were yet to be identified. The material he filmed himself, which was found on his devices, was crucial to his admissions of guilt.
The Metropolitan police are working through pictures and video found on more than 60 digital devices seized when Chan was arrested to rule out fears he could have committed dozens more offences.
The offences to which Chan, who was an early-years practitioner and nursery nurse, pleaded guilty include five sexual assaults by penetration of a child between two and four years, four sexual assaults, 11 counts of taking indecent photos, and six of making indecent images of children.
He had passed enhanced vetting to get the job in 2017, had worked in a school previously and had no criminal record.
Det Supt Lewis Basford, who led the investigation, said: “Chan’s offending spanned years, revealing a calculated and predatory pattern of abuse. He infiltrated environments that should have been safe havens for children, exploiting the trust of families and the wider community to conceal his actions and prey on the most vulnerable.
“Our investigation remains ongoing, and we are continuing to review digital devices and assess Chan’s conduct across all relevant settings.”
It was by chance that the danger Chan posed was discovered. In 2024 he was reported over a safeguarding concern when it emerged he had made videos mocking the children in his care. He was arrested in June 2024, and suspended from his job.
In September 2024 his electronic devices – phones, laptops and memory sticks, as well as 15 iPads from the nursery, 69 devices in total – were sent for digital examination. It was not until September 2025 that evidence on the devices of his sexual abuse of children was found. He was charged on 9 September 2025.
Basford said: “We recognise the member of staff who raised their concerns, as without that first report of child cruelty Chan’s abuse could have continued unchecked, putting countless more children at risk. These appalling offences have caused deep shock and distress.”
The Met said 700 parents of children who passed through the nursery from 2017 to 2024 had been contacted.
Basford said for parents: “Uncertainty will remain as to whether their child may have been harmed.”
Bright Horizons, which says it runs about 300 nurseries and preschools in the UK, said: “We are shocked and appalled by this individual’s horrific crimes.
“This individual’s actions represent not only a violation of the victims, but also a profound betrayal of the trust placed in him by families and colleagues.
“We have extensive safeguarding practices in place, designed to create safe environments for children to learn and grow. While this individual’s actions came to light after a colleague raised concerns and followed our whistleblowing procedures to report him, we fully accept that the evidence shows the individual was able to commit these crimes despite our safeguarding measures.
“In light of this, we have commissioned an external expert in this field to undertake a full review of our safeguarding practices.”
Sentencing will be on 23 January and the judge told Chan he faced a long time in prison. He was remanded in custody pending sentencing.
A dedicated NSPCC helpline on 0800 028 0828 had been set up for all families whose children attended the nursery.
