Teenage boy, 17, to appear in court over rape and sexual abuse of at least eight children at a nursery in Devon

A TEENAGER is due to appear in court charged with rape and a string of sexual offences against at least eight children at a nursery in Devon.

The 17-year-old boy, who can’t be named, is accused of sexually touching the kids at Jack and Jill Childcare in Torquay last July.

He is now due to appear at court today charged with one count of rape against a child and 13 counts of sexual touching against eight children.

The teen has also been charged with two counts of historic rape, but these are not linked to the nursery.

It was originally due to be held at the end of June but it has now been brought forward by the Crown Prosecution Service to today.
The suspect will appear by video link at Youth Court  in Torquay for an administrative hearing.

The privately-run childcare nursery took children from birth to five years and ran for 51 weeks of the year until it was closed down in the wake of a police investigation.

A probe was launched last summer after an allegation of sexual abuse was made.

There was a multi-agency response involving Police, Local Authority, NHS Devon Clinical Commissioning Group and Ofsted, in the investigation.

Letters were sent to the parents of 52 pupils at the nursery – with specialist officers visiting mums and dads of those believed to be victims.

John Nelson ran the nursery with wife Pam and daughter Lindsay. None of them are understood to be involved in the allegations.

Devon and Cornwall Police  said: “Any suspect under the age of 18 is by law not allowed to be identified.

“We therefore remind the public that it is vital that they do not speculate on the identity of either the victim or the suspect in this case.”