Sexually abusing children at the nursery where he worked.

Teenager Jailed for Sexually Abusing Children at Nursery

An 18-year-old teenager, Jayden McCarthy, has been sentenced to 11 years and six months in prison with an extended licence of three years for sexually abusing children at the nursery where he worked. The sentence was handed down by a judge at Exeter Crown Court.

McCarthy was found guilty of one charge of rape and 13 counts of sexual assault at the nursery in Torbay by a jury in May. He was also convicted of two counts of raping a boy in a separate incident in 2014.

The investigation into McCarthy's crimes began when a child at the nursery reported being sexually assaulted by him to her parents. During McCarthy's trial, the jury reviewed 13 CCTV clips from July 2019 showing him inappropriately touching eight children. He had been hired as an apprentice in March 2019 after undergoing an interview process and Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks.

The father of one of the victims described the past two years as a "fire of hell" for his family, citing anxiety, depression, and a feeling of being "broken" by McCarthy's actions.

Judge David Evans, presiding over the case, highlighted the high level of risk posed by McCarthy, noting his difficulty in controlling his sexual impulses while working at the nursery. "You were placed in a specific position of trust and you exploited that situation," the judge stated. "It seems to me that sexual offending may be in your nature and a great deal of work may be needed to work it out."

Det Ch Insp James Stock, from the Public Protection Unit at Devon and Cornwall Police, described the case as "emotionally challenging and incredibly complex." An independent review into McCarthy's abuse, commissioned by Torbay's Safeguarding Partnership, is currently underway.