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LOGAN — A Cache County man has been arrested and accused of sexually abusing numerous teenagers, and police say they expect to find more victims.
Payden Hunter Hendershot, 21, of North Logan, was booked into the Cache County Jail on Monday for investigation of two counts of object rape, two counts of forcible sexual abuse, providing alcohol to a minor and giving out narcotics.
"The scope of what Payden is accused of doing is striking, and additional potential victims have been named but not contacted," the arresting Cache County sheriff's deputy wrote in a police booking affidavit.
"Payden's overt sexuality with many people he comes in contact with, combined with his seeming lack of control when he is impaired, presents a danger to the community. It is my belief that additional victims have yet to come forward."
According to investigators, Hendershot would hang out with groups of teens last summer, provide them with drugs and alcohol, become very intoxicated with them and then sexually abuse them, both girls and boys. At least six victims had been identified as of Tuesday, the affidavit states.
The arresting deputy noted that the more he investigated, "I found that Payden was accused of having victimized many different teenage juveniles on different occasions and in different places," according to the affidavit. "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."
When questioned by police, Hendershot allegedly admitted he was intoxicated at the time of the assaults.
Payden described himself during these occasions using such terms as 'wasted,' 'blacked out' and 'messed up,' and told me he did not remember much.
–Police affidavit
"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," the affidavit says.
When questioned about specific incidents, Hendershot said he was bad at reading people, and when pressed about whether consent was given or if the victims were in any condition to give consent, he said "it was possible he 'could have read everyone wrong,'" according to the report.
