Man pleads guilty to case of sexual battery at Piedmont Triad Farmers Market, courts say
HIGH POINT, N.C. (WGHP) — A man will spend years on the sex offender registry after a plea connected to his actions at a Triad farmer’s market last year.
According to the Guilford County courts, Ivan Hugh-McDonald Peden entered a guilty plea on Feb. 26, 2024, to indecent exposure and sexual battery and will register as a sex offender. Sex offender registration lasts 30 years, and he received a 45 day suspended sentence for the indecent exposure and a 75 day suspended sentence for the sexual battery, as well 18 months probation.
The attorney who represented Peden said this was an Alford plea, where the individual does not admit guilt but enters a guilty plea because “the individual feels that it is in his/her best interest to do so.” The state dismissed additional indecent liberties and secret peeping charges as a result of this plea.
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“After a great deal of thought, Mr. Peden elected to forego his right to go to trial on these matters and proceed via Alford plea due to his age and health, and due to the affects a long and public trial could have on Mr. Peden and his family,” his attorney, Jones Byrd, said in a written statement.
The courts said that Peden was also required to stay away from the Piedmont Triad Farmer’s Market on Sandy Ridge Road in the Colfax area of Guilford County, where the complaints originated from.
Background
The Guilford County Sheriff’s Office arrested Ivan Hugh-McDonald Peden after they said they got reports of two sex offenses at the Piedmont Triad Farmers Market in Colfax. The two incidents happened on June 24 and July 14, 2023.
The 71-year-old former clergyperson was charged with felony indecent liberties with a child, felony indecent exposure, misdemeanor sexual battery and misdemeanor secret peeping. He has also been banned from the Piedmont Triad Farmers Market.
Documents state that Peden pleaded guilty to a charge of simple assault in August of 2021, which stemmed from a charge on March 7, 2020, in Forsyth County. Reportedly, the incident involved a teenage boy working at a Forsyth County grocery store.
The victim’s grandparents say Peden was physically aggressive with the teenager. At one point, he reportedly wrote down his phone number on a receipt, forced it into the teen’s pocket and grabbed his backside. Court documents in that case state that the assault stemmed from Peden grabbing the victim’s butt “multiple times.”
2023 allegations
At the time of his arrest, an adult victim who wished to remain anonymous said that Peden, who he had seen at the market multiple times, was in the market restroom when he walked in on June 24.
The victim greeted him, and Peden allegedly responded by groping the victim’s chest and pinched him “so hard that it hurt several hours after.” The victim says he pushed Peden and went in to use a stall. The victim said, when he looked up, he saw Peden watching him.
Then, on July 14, the documents show that Peden “exposed [his] penis for the purpose of arousing and gratifying defendant’s sexual desire” and that he “committed a lewd and lascivious act” upon a 13-year-old victim’s body.
Peden’s history as pastor
The Western North Carolina Conference of The United Methodist Church said that he “retired from active ministry” in 2020 and said at the time that the conference was “saddened to hear about” the allegations.
Moores Chapel United Methodist Church in Charlotte confirmed to Queen City News that Peden was a pastor from 1989 to 1992 and a pastor at First United Methodist Church in Charlotte in 1999.
Wesley Memorial United Methodist Church in High Pointed confirmed to FOX8 that Ivan Peden served as the church’s associate pastor from 1992 to 1999 and offered this statement:
“We are saddened to hear the news of the allegations regarding our former associate minister Rev. Ivan Peden,” Melody Emerson, director of communications, wrote. “During his time at Wesley Memorial, Rev. Peden helped to bring Stephen Ministry to our church, as well as, midweek communion services. Both programs have expanded and continue today. Rev. Peden was also involved in missions work and Wesley Memorial’s ministry to older adults. His wife and children were members of our congregation and very active in the life of the church. We do not have any direct knowledge of the alleged incidents, but we extend prayers to all involved.”
Lewisville UMC confirmed that Peden was a pastor that he retired in 2020 and that they had “no knowledge surrounding these recent allegations.”
“We are saddened to hear about them and are praying for all involved as the proper authorities work toward healing and justice,” Rev. Paul Brown, senior pastor at Lewisville UMC wrote in a statement.
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Farmers Market Responds
In a response provided by Market Manager Daniel Johnson, the farmers market stressed that they take the “safety and comfort” of the visitors, vendors and employees “very seriously.”
“We regret this situation occurred but want to stress that this is a safe market, and the public should feel confident about that,” Johnson wrote.
They cooperated “fully and immediately” with law enforcement and said they took proactive steps to “have the involved individual trespassed” as the sheriff’s office continues investigating.
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