Deacon Maxwell Rollin (Ron) Pelton

October 16, 2009: The Diocese of Phoenix has learned that Deacon Maxwell Rollin (Ron) Pelton, 75, of Cottonwood, AZ, has been charged by the Yavapai County Attorney’s Office with several criminal counts relating to the sexual abuse of a minor.

Pelton has been a retired, inactive deacon since October of 2000. To the best of our knowledge, Dcn. Pelton has not been involved in any ministry or other parish activities over the past nine years, and he has not participated in any ministry elsewhere during that period of time. He was ordained a deacon in November of 1991 and served at Immaculate Conception Parish in Cottonwood until October of 2000 when he notified the Diocese of his retirement.

Upon learning of these charges, the Bishop Thomas J. Olmsted of the Diocese of Phoenix immediately revoked Dcn. Pelton’s faculties pending the outcome of the legal process and a review by the Diocesan Review Board.

To date, the Diocese of Phoenix has not received any complaints or reports of sexual misconduct or improprieties on the part of Dcn. Pelton. The Diocese of Phoenix urges anyone who may know of any sexual misconduct or other improprieties committed by Dcn. Pelton or who may have any other relevant information regarding him to contact local law enforcement authorities.

As always, Bishop Olmsted and the Diocese of Phoenix encourage anyone who has experienced sexual misconduct or abuse by a member of the clergy or by any employee or volunteer of the Church to make a report to local law enforcement and to contact Jean Sokol at the Diocesan Office of Child and Youth Protection at (602) 354-2396.