A nursery worker has been detained for 10 years for rape and sexual abuse against boys as young as three.

Warning: Readers may find details in this story distressing.

Thomas Waller, 18, took advantage of his position to gain the trust of two boys in his care before exploiting them, Guildford Crown Court heard.

The teenager was working at a nursery and his responsibilities included taking children to the toilet and helping them get changed.

Sentencing him on Friday, Judge Claire Harden-Frost said it was “heartbreaking” to see the victims’ parents feeling responsible for what had happened.

Waller was found guilty of rape, two counts of causing or inciting sexual activity and taking indecent photos after a trial at Staines Youth Court earlier this year.

He was sentenced to 15 years at a young offender institution, of which he must serve 10 in detention and five on licence.

In a victim impact statement, one of the victim’s fathers said his son had “gathered a collection of memories that I would never wish on a human being”.

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