GUILFORD COUNTY, N.C. — A former pastor has been charged with two reported sex offenses at the Piedmont Triad Farmers Market in June and July.
WFMY's News 2 reporter Giselle Thomas spoke to an alleged victim Thursday who did not want to reveal their identity.
A victim who alleges they were assaulted in June said he ran into the suspect in the bathroom.
”I went to greet him as I would any customer," the victim said.
At that point, the victim said Peden touched and pinched his arms and chest. He said he was shocked and then locked himself in a bathroom stall.
"I then looked up through the stall door, and he was there looking right at me. [In] that moment, I stayed frozen, and I looked at him with a straight face as he looked at me into the stall," the victim shared.
Peden allegedly left after other patrons entered the restrooms.
Deputies said 71-year-old Ivan Hugh-McDonald Peden is charged with:
- Felony Indecent Liberties with a Child
- Felony Indecent Exposure
- Misdemeanor Sexual Battery
- Misdemeanor Secret Peeping
Peden is out on bond, according to court documents.
Peden was a United Methodist clergy, and he retired from active ministry with the Western North Carolina Conference (WNCC) in 2020.
Aimee Yeager, Director of Communications of WNCC, said there is no knowledge of these recent allegations, and they are saddened to hear about them.
This investigation is ongoing.
Below is a statement from the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services:
At the Piedmont Triad Farmers Market, we take the safety and comfort of all visitors, vendors, and employees very seriously, and work hard to create an inviting environment for everyone. We regret this situation occurred but want to stress that this is a safe market, and the public should feel confident about that.
We attract over 1.5 million visitors each year to the market, and this is a new and isolated incident for us. The market is not immune to real-world issues, such as what happened. We cooperated fully and immediately with law enforcement and took proactive steps to have the involved individual trespassed while the sheriff’s department investigation unfolded. That individual has now been charged.
Once an official complaint was filed with Market Management regarding the individual charged, we worked diligently to provide the Guilford County Sheriff’s Department with all available evidence to help them with their case.
In terms of a timeline and evidence provided, again we have turned this over to the Guilford County Sheriff’s Department and they can address that if they wish.
We do not want to go into every specific detail about the security measures at the market, but we do have off-duty law enforcement officers at the market on weekends and market staff that routinely travel around the market buildings. Because safety is a top priority for the market, we are continually evaluating what we are doing when it comes to public safety and make changes as necessary. Again, this is an unfortunate but isolated incident at the market that was dealt with quickly once brought to the management’s attention.
Daniel Johnson, Market Manager
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