At the beginning of the trial, Virginia Cornwall, prosecuting, told jurors that concerns were raised by parents and staff about Bennett’s behaviour towards the children in his care before his arrest.
“The events that were to unfold… are, you may think, every parent’s nightmare,” she said.
“A person entrusted to be responsible for your child, care for your child, nurture your child – at times when you are unable to provide that parental care – that abuses that position, that trust, that role, and sexually abuses your child.”
Staff noted that Bennett sat children on his lap for lengthy periods of time, wore a pair of trousers with holes in the crotch area, and acted “territorial” over certain toddlers and their parents, the court heard.
