BEDFORD — A local man faces a criminal charge in Lawrence County after allegedly violating an active protection order by showing up at a woman’s residence, attempting to take a child, and sending a barrage of insulting text messages.
Derek Boone, 39, of Bedford, has been charged with Invasion of Privacy, a class A misdemeanor, following an investigation by the Bedford Police Department.
According to a probable cause affidavit filed by Bedford Police Officer Joshua Turner, the incident began on the evening of May 19, 2026. At approximately 8:18 p.m., emergency dispatchers received a call from a resident in Day Court requesting to report a protection order violation.
Upon arriving at the scene, Officer Turner met with the female complainant. She stated that she holds an active, legally binding protection order against Boone, who is the father of her children.
The woman informed the officer that Boone had driven to her home earlier that evening, arriving at approximately 6:12 p.m. under the premise of bringing money for the children. However, the interaction quickly deteriorated. The woman stated that while Boone was on the property, he attempted to take one of the children away with him. She intervened and successfully stopped the removal, which sparked a short verbal argument before Boone fled the residence.
During the interview, the woman showed Officer Turner her phone, which contained a string of text messages Boone had reportedly sent her throughout the day and immediately after leaving her home. The affidavit notes that the digital messages showed Boone berating the female with derogatory terms and insults.
The woman admitted to the officer that she and Boone had maintained some communication strictly for the sake of co-parenting, and that she had previously allowed him to see the children when he was behaving rationally. However, on the day of the incident, she stated that Boone was acting belligerently, and she no longer felt safe for herself or her children.
The screenshots of the abusive text messages have since been officially uploaded to the Bedford Police Department’s digital incident folder as evidence.
Following the investigation, Officer Turner submitted the formal affidavit on May 23, 2026, requesting that an arrest warrant be issued for Boone. He was detained on July 3.
All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. This article is based on the information provided in the probable cause affidavit and does not represent a final determination of guilt or innocence.
