A TWISTED nursery worker who raped and sexually abused children as young as three has been jailed.
Thomas Waller preyed on two children in the toilet just weeks after he started his job at the village nursery.
Thomas Waller sexually assaulted boys at a nursery
The 18-year-old raped and sexually assaulted one boy and attacked another when they were just three years old.
Waller was today jailed for ten years, with a further five years on licence, after pleading guilty to his sick crimes.
Guildford Crown heard Waller gained the trust of the two boys at the nursery before carrying out his despicable crimes.
As part of his nursery duties, it was his job to take the children to the toilet and to change their clothes when required.
But he forced the boys into sexual activity while in the bathroom on more than one occasion.
Rio Pahlavanpour, prosecuting, said Waller had undergone an extensive college course and obtained the qualifications necessary to work in a nursery.
He said: “His tasks at the nursery included taking the children to the toilet and supervising their getting changed if required. Child D and Child T both attended the nursery.”
His twisted abuse came to light when both boys told their parents about what had happened to them.
were called the same evening and Waller was arrested the following morning at the family home in .
Officers were able to seize items of clothing belonging to Child D was wearing on the day and DNA from Waller was later identified on the front panel of the boy’s underwear.
A staff member from the nursery also confirmed Waller had been alone with Child D in the toilets that day shortly after lunch.
In a victim impact statement, Child D’s mum said: “I could not believe that I was hearing. I wanted to have misheard him or misunderstood.
“He did not know that what had happened was wrong but he knew it was different and wanted to share it.”
“My son is a kind, trusting boy and this man took advantage of that innocence and abused it.”
His dad said his son had “gathered a collection of memories that I would never wish on a human being”.
Reading her impact statement to the court, the mum of Child T, said Waller had robbed her three-year-old son of his “innocence” and left the family devastated and anxious.
She said: “This man knew exactly what he was doing. His actions were deliberate and calculated. He preyed on young children. All children deserve to be safe from him.
“The scars are not physical but emotional and psychological. He took the innocence of a three year old boy away. Every day I worry this will impact him for the rest of his life.”
In mitigation, Aphra Bruce-Jones said Waller does not accept that he abused the children, but does accept that he has now been found guilty.
His offending was a result of “opportunism rather than deliberate isolation” of his victims, she told the court.
The nursery where Waller carried out his abuse said it took “immediate action” as soon as concerns were raised about him.
The Surrey-based private business, which cannot be named for legal reasons, said in a statement: “We were, and remain, deeply shocked, saddened and sorry to learn of the actions of a former member of our staff.
“The safety and wellbeing of the children in our care is, and always will be, our highest priority.
“As soon as concerns were raised, we took immediate action, contacting the police without delay, suspending the individual concerned, and fully co-operating with the investigation.
“Since then we have carried out a full review and further strengthened our already robust safeguarding policies and staff training.
“We continue to work closely with the local authority and safeguarding professionals to ensure we uphold the very highest standards of care and protection for every child entrusted to us.”
Rebecca Millardship from the Crown Prosecution Service said: “This case is 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.
“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. None of us can begin to imagine the impact that Waller has had on these young children through his appalling crimes.”
Waller has now been jailed for ten yearsCredit: PA 
