Met LFR deployment leads to arrest of registered sex offender

A registered sex offender is back behind bars thanks to Live Facial Recognition (LFR) technology.

The LFR deployment by Metropolitan Police officers in Southwark on 10 January led to the arrest of 73-year-old David Cheneler, a registered sex offender who was found to be in the company of a six-year-old girl.

Cheneler was picked up by the LFR technology which then alerted officers to his presence.

Further checks confirmed that Cheneler was in breach of his Sexual Offences Prevention Order (SOPO), which prevented him from being alone with a child under the age of 14. He was also in possession of a lock knife which was hidden in the buckle of his belt. He was subsequently arrested and taken into custody.

Further enquiries from Met officers established Cheneler had picked the child up from school as a favour for her mother, which he’d also done on two previous occasions after building a relationship with them both over the course of a year.

This case is another example of how the Met’s use of LFR is protecting communities by helping officers take dangerous offenders off the streets of London.

The Met is a forerunner in using this technology as part of its commitment to make London safer by harnessing cutting-edge technology and data to identify and apprehend offenders who pose significant risks to our communities.

“This is a prime example of how the Met is using technology to remove dangerous offenders from our streets, and Live Facial Recognition remains an important tool in protecting Londoners.

“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.”

Detective Constable Adam Pearce of the Met’s local policing team in south-east London, who led the investigation.

Cheneler appeared at Kingston Crown Court on 20 May, where he was sentenced to two years’ imprisonment.

He pleaded guilty at Wimbledon Magistrates’ Court on 13 January to breaching the conditions of his SOPO, as well as possessing an offensive weapon.

The SOPO was originally imposed in 2019 by the courts, following a previous conviction in 2010 for 15 counts of indecent assault on a female under 16 and five counts of gross indecency with a child between 1968 and 1993, for which he served a nine-year prison term.

Live Facial Recognition enables the Met to take a more precise, intelligence-led approach to tackling crime.

Each deployment is carefully planned based on operational needs and is guided by data to ensure resources are directed at offenders who pose the greatest threat to our communities.

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