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Registered sex offender jailed after found walking home 6-year-old girl – South London News
A registered sex offender has been put behind bars after a Live Facial Recognition (LFR) camera caught him breaching his prevention order.
LFR is an advanced technology where Met officers position a van equipped with cameras in a pre-agreed location.
The facial recognition system then cross-checks the live camera feed of faces against a database of known identities and custody images to make arrests.
On January 10, a police van with LFR was operating in Denmark Hill, when cameras alerted officers to 73-year-old David Cheneler as being a registered sex offender.
When he was stopped by cops, he was found to be with a six-year-old girl.
Further checks confirmed he was in breach of his Sexual Offences Prevention Order (SOPO), which banned him from being alone with a child under the age of 14.
He was also in possession of a lock knife that was hidden in the buckle of his belt. He was arrested and taken into custody.
Cheneler had picked the child up from school for her mother, which he’d also done on two previous occasions after building a relationship with them over the course of a year.
Detective Constable Adam Pearce of the Met’s local policing team in south-east London, who led the investigation, said: “Although there were no allegations made towards David Cheneler on this occasion, it’s possible if he hadn’t been identified using this technology, he could have gone on to abuse this child.
“Her mother was completely unaware of his offending history, and along with her young daughter, were both taken advantage of by Cheneler who abused their trust.”
Cheneler, of Lewisham, appeared at Kingston Crown Court yesterday, where he was sentenced to two years’ imprisonment.
He previously pleaded guilty at Wimbledon Magistrates’ Court on January 13, to breaching the conditions of his SOPO, as well as possessing an offensive weapon.
Lindsey Chiswick, the Met’s lead for Live Facial Recognition, said: “The Met is committed to making London safer, using data and technology to identify offenders that pose a risk to our communities.
“This is a prime example of the variety of uses for LFR. The tool is not only used to find those wanted, but also to stop people on a watch list who have conditions they must adhere to.
“These interventions are crucial. Without this technology, Cheneler may have had the opportunity to cause further harm.”
Pictured top: David Cheneler was arrested in Denmark Hill on January 10 (Picture: The Met)
