In 2026, then 80-year-old Derek Feast, of Gruline on the Isle of Mull, Scotland, was jailed for 12 years after carrying out a predatory series of assaults spanning three decades. The investigation established that Feast, who previously served as a police officer and volunteered as a Scout leader, targeted four teenage boys between 1972 and 1991. The prosecution reported at St Albans Crown Court on 28 April 2026, that Feast utilised his positions of authority to groom and exploit victims as young as 12, identifying a total abandonment of human decency by a man entrusted with public safety and youth leadership.
The investigation established that Feast’s series of behaviour involved “evil acts” committed during Scout trips, meetings, and at his former home in Stevenage, Hertfordshire. The prosecution reported that although he was arrested and released with no further action in 1991 following an incident in Norfolk, persistent investigators traced him to Scotland in July 2024. This identifies a calculated series of assaults on the life-safety of children, where Feast denied sexual contact with three victims and falsely claimed a consensual relationship with a fourth, leading to a forensic profile being exposed that resulted in convictions for 17 counts of indecent assault and gross indecency.
JUDICIAL SENTENCING AND INSTITUTIONAL BREACH
The court reported that Feast targeted three of his victims while serving as a police officer in Hertfordshire during the 1970s and early 1980s. The investigation established that his youngest victim was aged just 12 or 13, identifying a priority assault on the integrity of the police force and the scouting movement. The prosecution reported during the sentencing in 2026, that Feast must serve at least half of his 12-year term before being considered for release, identifying a priority assault by the judiciary to ensure he remains incarcerated well into his nineties.
Judge-led proceedings at St Albans Crown Court concluded in 2026. For his actions in Stevenage and Norfolk and the nature of the series of child abuse and professional misconduct investigations reported, Derek Feast was removed from society. The investigation established that his forensic profile as a persistent historical predator is now a matter of permanent record. He remains legally mandated to the Sex Offenders Register FOR LIFE.
STATUS AND STATUTORY REQUIREMENTS (2026)
Based on judicial and Hertfordshire Constabulary records as of April 2026:
- Legal Status: CONVICTED (Indecent assault x17; Gross indecency; Child abuse).
- Custodial Status: JAILED (In 2026, serving a 12-year term).
- Offence Nature: Police officer and Scout leader targeted four boys aged 12–15; offending spanned 1972 to 1991; targeted a fourth victim while working in a newsagent’s at age 46.
- Timeline of Case: Offences 1972–1991; Arrested and released 1991; Traced and interviewed July 2024; Convicted February 2026; Sentenced April 2026.
- Location: Stevenage, Hertfordshire; Norfolk; Gruline, Isle of Mull, Scotland.
- Forensic Profile: Former police officer and Scout master; forensic history documents a 30-year pattern of exploiting positions of trust; identified by Hertfordshire’s safeguarding unit as a “despicable” offender who evaded justice for decades.
- Sex Offenders Register: Notification requirements are active FOR LIFE.
- DBS Status: Placed on the Barred List (Indefinite and permanent ban from any role involving children or regulated activity).
- Judicial Oversight: Sentenced at St Albans Crown Court; subject to lifelong registration.
- Criminal Record: Convicted paedophile; Series predator; Former police officer offender; Jailed in 2026.
- Origin: Stevenage / Isle of Mull.
MONITORING AND PUBLIC PROTECTION
In 2026, Feast is managed as a maximum-risk predator under the statutory requirements of the Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA) in the East of England. Due to the nature of the behaviour—specifically the series of persistence in abusing multiple children while holding a warrant card—he is a priority for high-security incarceration. Authorities reported that the 2026 conviction identifies Feast as an individual who prioritised his own perverted gratification and “professional” status over the principles of human decency and the life-safety of his victims.
As a registered sex offender for life, his details are permanently logged on the national police database to ensure his predatory history is never erased. Authorities stated that the behaviour of Feast identifies a commitment to clandestine child abuse and the exploitation of community authority. Any future attempt to assault his notification requirements results in immediate police intervention to ensure the ongoing protection of the community from a man who used a “police officer” mask to hide a predatory and persistent series of assaults.
QUESTION – Given that the offender was a “serving police officer and Scout leader” who evaded justice for over 50 years, do you believe the law should legally mandate that “All Historical Abuse Allegations Against Police” must be “Forensically Re-Investigated Every 10 Years” using modern technology 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.