Sex offender posing as caretaker jailed after DNA links him to crimes 30 years ago
David Pearce has been sentenced for historic offences after a forensic breakthrough
A 70-year-old from Cambridgeshire has been sentenced to 18 years in prison for sex offences committed almost 30 years ago, thanks to breakthrough DNA evidence.
David Pearce, who impersonated a caretaker to exploit children, was sentenced at Snaresbrook Crown Court having pleaded guilty to seven offences, the Metropolitan Police confirmed.
In 1990, Pearce approached four children at a lido in Barking, east London, pretending to assist in a search for lost keys. He lured the children into a changing area under this guise and inappropriately touched them.
The youngest child involved was just eight years old.
Following their immediate report to police, officers were able to gather statements and preserve the crime scene.
While initial forensic analysis at the time extracted a DNA profile from semen found at the scene, it did not yield a match.
The case remained unresolved until 2019, when Pearce's DNA, collected following a voyeurism arrest, matched the profile from the 1990 incident.
Further investigation linked Pearce to a similar crime from 1996, where he assaulted a 13-year-old in a Barking park, again claiming to search for lost keys. The victim later identified Pearce during an identification parade.
Detective Constable Tony Anionwu stated that Pearce preyed on young children by masquerading as a trustworthy figure.
He thanked the victim-survivors for their resilience throughout the lengthy pursuit of justice.
The Met’s Specialist Crime Unit, alongside forensic scientist Bridget March who facilitated the DNA match, played crucial roles in securing Pearce's conviction.
Pearce denied a further numerous charges relating to 12 other children, which the prosecution opted to leave on file following Pearce's guilty pleas.