A registered sex offender caught with a six-year-old girl by the Met Police’s facial recognition cameras in Southwark has been jailed. David Cheneler had picked the child up from school as a favour to her mum, having befriended the family.
However, the 73-year-old hid the fact he’d been in prison for nine years after committing multiple sexual offences against children under 16 between 1968 and 1993. He was handed a Sexual Offences Prevention Order (SOPO) upon his release in 2019, which prevents him being alone with a child younger than 14.
The pensioner was taken into custody in the Denmark Hill area when officers were informed of his criminal history by their van’s live facial recognition technology. He had a lock knife hidden in his belt buckle at the time of his arrest.
Cheneler, who lived in Lewisham, pleaded guilty to breaching the conditions breaching the conditions of his SOPO and possessing an offensive weapon at Wimbledon Magistrates’ Court on January 13. He was sentenced to two years behind bars during an appearance at Kingston Crown Court yesterday (May 20).
Detective Constable Adam Pearce, who led the investigation, says the live cameras are a ‘prime example’ of how the Metropolitan Police is taking ‘dangerous’ criminals off the street.
He added: “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.”
The face recognition cameras were first trialled at Notting Hill Carnival in 2016 and are now used in pre-agreed locations across London. They capture live footage of people passing by and compare their faces against a database of wanted offenders.
If a match is detected, the system generates an alert. Officers can then review the match and decide if they wish to speak with the individual.
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.”
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