Plymouth nursery abuse children to be monitored

Children who may have been abused by nursery paedophile Vanessa George are to be monitored for 15 years, the BBC has learned.

The monitoring programme is being put in place by police and social services officers in Plymouth.

About 30 children are believed to have been abused by George, 39, at Little Ted’s Nursery, where she worked.

She was given an indeterminate sentence at Bristol Crown Court on Tuesday and told to serve a minimum of seven years.

George, from Plymouth, admitted abusing and taking photographs of babies and toddlers at the nursery but has refused to reveal the identity of her victims.

Abuse trauma

Officials fear the trauma of the attacks on the children may only become evident as they grow older, particularly as they reach adolescence, and want to be ready to help them.

The programme being put in place will help children and their families deal with any trauma from abuse they may have suffered.

However, there have been great difficulties indentifying exactly who was abused.

Devon and Cornwall police said officers would “strive to identify George’s victims”.

After the sentencing, Michele Slevin from the force, said: “This work will continue and we remain committed to identifying those children George abused.”

Angela Allen, 39, from Nottingham, who was sent the images taken by George, was also given an indeterminate sentence and told she would have to serve at least five years.

Colin Blanchard, 39, from Rochdale, who forwarded the pictures to Allen after George sent them to him, will be sentenced at a later date.