A teenage nursery worker described as a 'cold, calculated' paedophile has been sentenced to ten years in youth custody for sexually assaulting two three-year-old boys just weeks after starting his job.
The Disturbing Abuse Uncovered
Thomas Waller was only 17 years old and had been working at a village nursery in Surrey for just three weeks when he committed the horrific offences. The court heard that Waller orally raped one boy and sexually assaulted another, both aged three, during bathroom visits between July and August last year.
His duties included taking children to the toilet and changing their clothes, which provided him with opportunities to abuse the toddlers. The predator, now 18, also kept explicit photos of one victim on his phone and incited both boys to perform sex acts on him.
How the Crimes Came to Light
The abuse was discovered after one victim, identified only as Child D, made a shocking confession to his mother at bedtime. 'Tom [Waller] and me touched each other's w***ies', the young boy revealed, adding: 'We sucked them.'
The following morning, the second victim, Child T, shocked his mother by touching his penis in a way that appeared to mimic masturbation. He then told her: 'This is the way that Tom said we can play with our willies.'
Forensic evidence proved crucial to the case, with Waller's DNA found on Child D's underwear. When police arrested him, they discovered indecent pictures of the other boy on his mobile phone.
Devastating Impact on Families
In emotional victim impact statements, both mothers described the profound trauma caused by Waller's actions. Child D's mother said she couldn't believe what she was hearing when her son confided in her about the abuse.
'He did not know that what had happened was wrong but he knew it was different and wanted to share it,' she told the court. 'My son is a kind, trusting boy and this man took advantage of that innocence and abused it.'
She expressed horror that her 'beautiful, brave' son questioned whether he had 'done a bad thing too' by following Waller's instructions, showing how the abuse had distorted the child's understanding of right and wrong.
Child T's mother described suffering from 'anxiety and guilt' for being unable to protect her son. 'This man knew exactly what he was doing,' she said. 'His actions were deliberate and calculated. He preyed on young children. All children deserve to be safe from him.'
She added that while the scars weren't physical, they were 'emotional and psychological', and that Waller had taken away her son's innocence. 'Every day I worry this will impact him for the rest of his life,' she told the court.
Sentencing and Nursery Response
Waller was sentenced to 10 years in youth custody followed by five years on licence. The court heard he had completed a six-month work placement at another nursery between qualifying from college and starting at the nursery where the abuse occurred.
The nursery where the offences took place stated it immediately contacted police and suspended Waller when concerns were raised. They confirmed having 'carried out a full review and further strengthened our already robust safeguarding policies and staff training'.
The case has raised serious questions about safeguarding procedures in early years education and the vulnerability of very young children to predators in positions of trust.
