Chilling footage has captured the moment a teenage nursery worker refused to co-operate with police after raping and sexually abusing children as young as three.

Thomas Waller, 18, was today jailed for 10 years after raping and sexually assaulting one boy and sexually assaulting another child in his care at a nursery in Surrey.

Within days of being able to look after children, the ‘sinister and calculated’ teen took advantage of his position to gain the trust of the two boys before exploiting them.

He was arrested after both children told their parents about what had happened to them while at the nursery, Guildford Crown Court was told.

Nursery staff member later told police Waller had been alone in the toilets with one of the boys, known as Child D, in August, after lunch. Officers also found his DNA on the child’s underwear, the court heard.

His phone was also seized and police found indecent images pictures of another boy, known as Child T, the prosecutor said.

During his police interview, Waller refused to provide any explanation as to how his DNA was found on Child D’s clothing and how the images of Child T ended up on his mobile phone.

Footage shows the emotionless teen repeatedly answer ‘no comment’ while being grilled by two police officers on November 10 last year.

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This is the moment teenage nursery worker Thomas Waller, 18, refused to co-operate with police after raping and sexually abusing children as young as three

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Waller (pictured), a teenage nursery worker, has been jailed for 10 years after using his position to rape and sexually abuse children as young as three

‘So, a download of your phone this, exhibit P A02 has been completed since your last interview. What do you think we found on that phone Thomas?’ one of the officers asks during the interview.

‘No comment,’ Waller replies.

The officer continues: ‘From the download of, this piece five indecent images of a child have been found. What can you tell me about this?

‘No comment,’ Waller says again.

The officer goes on to ask if the teen had been ‘aware of any indecent images’ on his phone and why they were there, to which he replies ‘no comment’.

‘They’ve looked into these images and these images were captured using the device camera on Friday the 26 July, 2024. What can you tell me about that?’ the officers asks.

‘No comment,’ Waller says.

Wrapping up the interview, the officer asks: ‘So at this point, Thomas, I’ll remind you this is your chance to tell us why we found: A the forensic link to [victim] and then indecent images of [victim 2] on your phone.

‘So is there anything you’d like to add? I know you’ve got no comment. Is there anything you’d like to say at this point?’

‘No Thank you,’ the rapist replies.

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Thomas Waller was told he will serve 10 years in youth custody and five years on licence

The court heard the rape and sexual assaults happened just weeks after Waller had been given a placement at the nursery.

Rio Pahlavanpour, prosecuting, said Waller had undergone an extensive college course and had 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.’

He said: ‘Child D made disclosures to his mother during the bedtime routine.’

Police were called the same evening and Waller was arrested the following morning at the family home in Surrey.

Wearing a hooded puffa jacket, white polo shirt and dark trousers, Waller sat impassively in the dock and hung his head as the parents of his victims addressed their comments to him.

There was no one from his family in court to support him.

Waller went on trial before a youth court at Staines Magistrates Court in July, charged with the rape of a boy under the age of 13, two counts of inciting a boy under the age of 13 to engage in sexual activity and taking indecent photos of a child.

He was found guilty on July 31, with the mother of one victim telling the court Waller was ‘a very dangerous individual’.

Waller has now been sentenced to 10 years in a young offender’s institution and additional five years on licence for rape, five years for the first count of incitement, four years for the second count and 12 months for the indecent images. The sentences will be served concurrently.

Judge Harden-Frost said Waller used his position at the nursery to sexually abuse the boys ‘within days of being able to supervise children going to the bathroom’.

‘It’s heartbreaking that one of the effects of your actions is that the parents of your victims feel responsible,’ she added.

In a victim impact statement, Child D’s father said his son had ‘gathered a collection of memories that I would never wish on a human being’.

Speaking about his son’s new school he said: ‘We should be telling them that he doesn’t like carrots, not that he has been raped.’

He described Waller as ‘cold, sinister and calculated’, adding ‘Tom cannot be allowed to do this again.’

Child D’s mother said her son ‘holds our family together’.

‘When my son told me what had happened I could not believe what I was hearing,’ she said.

‘He did not know that what had happened to him was wrong.

‘This man took advantage of that beautiful innocence.’

She said Waller had used his ‘skills’ to ‘build trust with my son and then exploit him’.

Child D described Waller as his ‘new best friend’ at about the time of the offending, she told the court.

Criticising the nursery worker for not pleading guilty, and putting her son through a trial, she said: ‘This man has subjected my son and my family to additional trauma.’

She said her ‘beautiful, brave, clever son’ questioned his own guilt as a result of giving evidence at court.

The mother of Child T said she had felt ‘shock then confusion’ when her son told her what had happened.

‘Our baby boy was saying and doing things that no three-year-old should,’ she said.

She described feeling guilty about sending her son to the nursery and said she sometimes cried herself to sleep at night.

‘I fear that one day (Child T’s) memories of what happened might return again. It could have an impact for the rest of his life.

‘I believe he knew exactly what he was doing,’ she said of Waller, adding: ‘His actions were deliberate and calculated.’

The mother said she feared the pictures taken of her son ‘could be anywhere’.

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.

He chose to study childcare development ‘because of his childhood experiences’, she added.

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.’

Jonathan Hulley, Surrey County Council cabinet member for children, families and lifelong learning, said: ‘I am appalled by the crimes committed by Thomas Waller and extend my deepest sympathies to the children and families affected.

‘As the local authority, we were informed by partners when these disclosures were first made about an individual working in a private nursery in Surrey.

‘We immediately undertook our duties to support the actions of safeguarding partners, and of Ofsted as the regulatory body for early years settings.

‘Our role has included co-ordinating information-sharing and actions between relevant bodies, as well as supporting the setting to implement actions identified for them by Ofsted.

‘The wellbeing and safeguarding of children and young people is our absolute priority.’

Rebecca Millardship, from the Crown Prosecution Service, said Waller’s crimes are ‘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,’ she said after sentencing.

‘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.’