Sex offender found with six-year-old girl after facial recognition technology spots him

A registered sex offender was found with a six-year-old girl after he was detected by facial recognition technology.

David Cheneler, 73, was discovered with the child – whose mother was “completely unaware of his offending history” – after he was identified by a police van in Camberwell, south London, in January.

He was spotted using advanced technology known as Live Facial Recognition (LFR), where live footage is recorded of members of the public as they walk past, capturing their faces, which are then compared against a database of wanted offenders.

If a match is determined, the system creates an alert, which is assessed by an officer.

If suspicions are aroused, the police officer may decide to speak with the individual in question.

When Cheneler was detected on 10 January, cameras alerted the authorities to his status as a registered sex offender.

Additional checks confirmed he had breached his Sexual Offences Prevention Order (SOPO), which prohibited him from being alone with children under 14.

Cheneler was also in possession of a lock knife hidden in the buckle of his belt.

He was subsequently arrested and taken into custody.

Lindsey Chiswick, the Metropolitan Police‘s lead for LFR, said it was “a prime example of the variety of uses” of the technology.

“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,” she added.

“These interventions are crucial. Without this technology, Cheneler may have had the opportunity to cause further harm.”

Cheneler had picked up the child from school as a favour to her mother, which he had done twice previously, according to the Met Police.

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Detective Constable Adam Pearce 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 was sentenced to two years’ imprisonment at Kingston Crown Court on Tuesday.

In January, he pleaded guilty at Wimbledon Magistrates’ Court to breaching the conditions of his SOPO, and to possessing an offensive weapon.