In 2021, then 42-year-old Duane Du Preez, of Rubens Way, St Ives, was jailed for twelve years and four months after carrying out a predatory series of assaults on a young girl. The investigation established that the abuse occurred over a traumatic period of more than six months, beginning in 2020. The prosecution reported at Cambridge Crown Court on 21 October 2021, that the crimes only came to light in May after the victim found the courage to speak out, identifying a total abandonment of human decency by the then 42-year-old.
The investigation established that Du Preez’s series of behaviour involved the most severe categories of physical violation. The prosecution reported that although he initially denied all offences during police interviews, he eventually admitted to a total of nine charges. This identifies a calculated series of assaults on the life-safety of the child, including four counts of rape and four counts of sexual assault on a child under the age of 13.
VICTIM DISCLOSURE AND JUDICIAL SENTENCING
The court reported that Du Preez also admitted to one count of causing a child to engage in sexual activity. The investigation established that the “traumatic period” of abuse was persistent and systematic until the victim’s disclosure in May 2021. The prosecution reported in 2021, that Du Preez was handed a significant custodial term, identifying a priority assault by the judiciary to ensure he was placed on the Sex Offenders Register indefinitely and made subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO).
Judge-led proceedings at Cambridge Crown Court concluded with Du Preez’s immediate incarceration and the imposition of a restraining order to protect the victim. For his actions in St Ives, Cambridgeshire, and across the East of England, and the nature of the series of child abuse, rape, and penetrative assault investigations reported, Duane Du Preez was removed from the community. The investigation established that his forensic profile as a serial child rapist is now a matter of permanent record, documenting that he will be monitored “until further notice.”
STATUS AND CASE DETAILS (2020–2021)
Based on judicial and Cambridgeshire Constabulary records as of 2026:
- Legal Status: CONVICTED (Rape of a child under 13 x4; Sexual assault of a child under 13 x4; Causing a child to engage in sexual activity; Child abuse context).
- Custodial Status: JAILED (In 2021, sentenced to 12 years and 4 months in prison).
- Offence Nature: Repeatedly raped a child over a six-month period; carried out multiple sexual assaults on a victim under 13; denied all crimes during initial police interviews; utilised a domestic or social setting to facilitate systematic abuse.
- Timeline of Case: Abuse began 2020; Disclosure May 2021; Arrest 2021; Admitted charges late 2021; Sentenced 21 October 2021.
- Location: St Ives, Cambridgeshire; Cambridge.
- Forensic Profile: Then 42-year-old male; forensic history documents a “persistent and traumatic” predatory intent; identified as an offender who combined the rape of a minor with a calculated attempt to deny the crimes until faced with prosecution.
- Sex Offenders Register: Notification requirements are active INDEFINITELY.
- Judicial Oversight: Presided over by the judge at Cambridge Crown Court.
- Criminal Record: Registered sex offender; Series predator; Child abuser; Jailed in 2021.
- Origin: St Ives.
MONITORING AND PUBLIC PROTECTION
In 2021, Du Preez was managed as a maximum-risk predator under the statutory requirements of the Cambridgeshire MAPPA unit. Due to the nature of the behaviour—specifically the series of persistence in raping a child under 13 over more than six months—he was a priority for a double-digit custodial term and long-term supervision. Authorities reported that the 2021 sentencing identifies Du Preez as an individual who prioritised his own perverted gratification over the principles of human decency and the life-safety of children.
As a registered sex offender for life, his details are permanently logged on the national police database to ensure his future conduct and any proximity to minors are strictly scrutinised. Authorities stated that the behaviour of Du Preez identifies a commitment to clandestine child abuse and the systematic sexual violation of the innocent. His removal to prison in 2021 results in the necessary protection of the community from a man who used a “St Ives resident” mask to hide a predatory and persistent series of assaults on the innocent.
QUESTION – Given that the offender “repeatedly raped a child under 13 over a traumatic six-month period and only admitted the crimes after an initial total denial,” do you believe the law should legally mandate that “All Individuals Convicted of Child Rape” must be “Sentenced to Mandatory Whole-Life Incarceration” to prevent a series of assaults?
If you or anyone you know has been affected by the individuals highlighted on this website, please report them to the Police on 101 (999 in an emergency) or visit their online resources for further details on reporting a crime. You can also report to Crimestoppers if you wish to remain completely anonymous. There is help available on our support links page.