North Logan man confesses to sexually assaulting multiple teenagers

Booking photo for Payden Hunter Hendershot (Courtesy: Cache County Jail)

LOGAN — A 21-year-old North Logan man has admitted to sexually assaulting several teenage girls and a boy while providing them alcohol. Payden H. Hendershot has been in the Cache County Jail since being arrested in February.

Hendershot participated in the virtual hearing in 1st District Court Monday afternoon, appearing by web conference from jail. He accepted a plea deal, pleading guilty to two counts of forcible sodomy, amended to second-degree felonies; and furnishing alcohol to a minor, amended to a class B misdemeanor.

As part of the plea deal, prosecutors agreed to drop three remaining charges against the defendant.

Hendershot was arrested in February after one of the juvenile victims reported being sexually assaulted by Hendershot last summer. The defendant was a “friend of a friend” to the victim.

As Cache County sheriff’s deputies began to investigate, they uncovered five additional teenage juveniles that also reported being victimized by Hendershot. The girls and boy described similar incidents of being forcibly raped or molested while trying to resist. Many indicated that the crimes took place while they were under the influence of alcohol, and were unable to fight off the perpetrator.

When deputies interviewed Hendershot, he admitted to providing the teens with alcohol, but claimed the sexual activity was consensual. He also explained that most of the encounters occurred during times he was also intoxicated or under the influence of drugs. He claimed that he could not remember most of the details because he was “wasted, blacked out and messed up.”

Hendershot spoke only briefly during Monday’s hearing. He waived his rights to a fair trial and pleaded guilty to the charges.

Judge Brandon Maynard ordered Hendershot to complete a presentence report about his criminal history, completed by probation agents. He also scheduled a sentencing hearing for June 21.

Hendershot will remain in jail until sentencing. He could then face up to 15-years in prison.


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