CACHE COUNTY, Utah, Feb. 19, 2021 (Gephardt Daily) — A Cache County man has been booked on multiple felony charges in connection to alleged sexual assaults and the furnishing of controlled substances to minors.
Payden Hunter Hendershot, 21, has been charged in 1st District Court with:
- Two counts of object rape, a first-degree felony
- Two counts of forcible sexual abuse, a second-degree felony
- Permitting use or distribution of a controlled substances, a third-degree felony
- Sell, offer or furnish alcoholic product to a minor negligently, a class B misdemeanor
An investigation into Hendershot’s alleged conduct was initiated by the Cache County Sheriff’s Office after it received information from the Department of Child and Family Services regarding numerous alleged sex crimes against a minor during the summer of 2020.
The initial victim, age 17, reported Hendershot was a slightly older “friend of a friend” who was often present during social gatherings, the probable cause statement says. The victim said Hendershot performed a sexual act on them “as the victim struggled to fight him off in a residence in Cache County.”
“During the interview I also obtained the names of additional victims, and the investigation quickly broadened,” the statement says. “As I continued, I found that Payden was accused of having victimized many different teenage juveniles on different occasions and in different places.”
Five more alleged victims were interviewed, and all stated that Hendershot had engaged in unwanted sexual acts with them.
“Many of the victims indicate that Payden took advantage of them while they were under the influence of drugs or intoxicated and unable to fight him off.”
During each interview, more alleged victims were named, the probable cause statement says.
“Contact with these individuals is pending, and additional charges are likely,” the statement says.
Hendershot was arrested on Feb. 15 and transported to the Sheriff’s Office for an interview.
“We discussed the allegations and found that a common thread amongst the different accusations was that these sexual encounters occurred during times when Payden was intoxicated, under the influence of drugs, and oftentimes both,” the probable cause statement says. “Payden described himself during these occasions using such terms as ‘wasted,’ ‘blacked out’ and ‘messed up,’ and told me he did not remember much.
“He also indicated that when he consumes LSD he loses his connection with reality. He admitted to providing acid, marijuana and alcohol on occasion to some of the teenagers, and told me that during their interactions drug and alcohol use was rampant.”
Hendershot is being held without bail. The statement said Sheriff’s officials are expecting to hear from more victims.
