DEREK EDWARDS AND COLIN FARROW SHOCK CRAYFORD AND FOREST HILL IN SEX OFFENDER CASE

In a disturbing case that has sent shockwaves through the communities of Crayford and Forest Hill, two men accused of abusing the same teenage boy were brought to justice after the victim courageously disclosed the abuse to his teacher. The revelations led to the arrest and subsequent court proceedings against Derek Edwards, aged 46, of Perry Vale, Forest Hill, and Colin Farrow, also aged 46, a jobless refuse worker residing on Mayplace Avenue, Crayford.

Details of the case reveal a prolonged and sinister campaign of sexual abuse carried out by Edwards over a period of approximately 18 months. The abuse reportedly began after Edwards established contact with the boy’s father through CB radio when the victim was only nine years old. Over time, Edwards managed to infiltrate the family’s trust, gaining access to the boy and his family under the guise of friendship and familiarity.

When the boy reached the age of 13, Edwards took him on a weekend trip along the River Medway aboard his boat. It was during this trip that the abuse commenced, with Edwards exploiting the opportunity to assault the teenager. Following these incidents, Edwards continued to buy the boy expensive gifts, including a bicycle, a mobile phone, a CD player, and CDs, in an apparent attempt to keep the victim silent about the ongoing abuse.

Throughout the court proceedings, it was revealed that Edwards, who worked as a night watchman at a factory located on Bronze Age Way in Erith, had also taken the boy to the factory premises. There, he committed further acts of abuse in the engineers’ room. The court heard that Edwards’s actions were part of a calculated pattern of manipulation and exploitation, which was only halted when the boy confided in a teacher last year.

Unbeknownst to Edwards, the teenager had also been involved with Colin Farrow, a man who was unaware of the boy’s true age. The boy was reportedly picked up at a gay haunt on Dartford Heath by Farrow, who believed the boy was 17. The two men met on three additional occasions, engaging in sexual acts consensually, although the boy was actually much younger. Farrow, who is married with two adult children, thought he was acting with an older teenager, not a minor.

Following the victim’s disclosure, both men were arrested. Edwards, who had a prior record of sex offences, faced serious charges and pleaded guilty to five counts of sexual offences. Judge Graham Boal QC sentenced Edwards to seven and a half years in prison. In contrast, Farrow, who had no previous convictions, admitted to three counts of indecent assault and was sentenced to 80 hours of community service. Both men will be registered as sex offenders and will be subject to ongoing monitoring and restrictions as part of their sentences.