A sex offender got himself in some hot water when the Met Police’s fancy facial recognition cameras caught him with a little girl in Southwark. David Cheneler, a 73-year-old fella, was just trying to be a good Samaritan by picking up the six-year-old from school as a favor to her mom. Little did they know, this dude had a shady past of doing some really messed up stuff to kids under 16 between 1968 and 1993. Like, seriously messed up. He spent a good nine years in the slammer for it. After he got out in 2019, they slapped him with a Sexual Offences Prevention Order (SOPO), basically saying he can’t be alone with kids under 14. But guess what? He broke that rule and got caught red-handed with a lock knife tucked away in his belt buckle. Not a smart move, grandpa.
The old chap, who lived in Lewisham, admitted to breaking the conditions of his SOPO and having a weapon on him at Wimbledon Magistrates’ Court on January 13. Fast forward to May 20, and he found himself behind bars for a few years after a stint at Kingston Crown Court. Detective Constable Adam Pearce, the man in charge of the case, was all praises for the facial recognition cameras that nabbed this dangerous criminal. According to him, if it weren’t for this high-tech gadget, Cheneler might have gone on to do some serious harm to the little girl he was with. Her mom had no clue about his dark past, and they were both taken for a ride by this sneaky fella who took advantage of their trust.
The facial recognition cameras weren’t just for show, folks. They were first tested out at the Notting Hill Carnival back in 2016 and are now scattered around the city in places where troublemakers like to hang out. These cameras snap live photos of people passing by and then compare their faces to a database of wanted criminals. If there’s a match, the system sends out an alert, and the officers can decide if they want to have a chat with the person in question. Lindsey Chiswick, the big shot handling Live Facial Recognition at the Met, was all about how this technology is making London a safer place by weeding out the bad apples. She mentioned how crucial it was to stop folks like Cheneler, who clearly didn’t get the memo about staying away from kids.
So, yeah, the moral of the story is that you never know who’s lurking around, but with these cameras around, at least there’s a fighting chance of keeping the neighborhood safe. Whether you’re a law-abiding citizen or a sneaky criminal, the eyes in the sky are watching. And they’re not going to let anyone slide, especially when it comes to protecting the innocent. Stay safe out there, folks. You never know who’s hiding behind that friendly smile.
