Peter Yarrow, convicted in the 1970's of "making sexual advances" on a 14-year-old girl, will perform on Friday at a rally organized by the nonprofit Code Pink: Women for Peace.
Yarrow went to prison after making sexual advances on a 14-year-old girl and her 17-year-old sister in 1970 when they went to his Washington, D.C. hotel room to ask for his autograph, according to the New York Post. Yarrow pleaded guilty to taking "indecent liberties" with the 14-year-old and spent only three months behind bars.
The performer was pardoned by President Jimmy Carter on his last day in office in 1981.
Yarrow has extensive ties within liberal circles: he sang at John Kerry's 1995 wedding, performed at Occupy Wall Street for protesters, and performed for Barack Obama's campaign. Yarrow is also godfather to one of Kerry's children.
Yarrow has a history of social and anti-war activism. He traveled to Vietnam to "apologize" on behalf of the United States in 2005 for America's participation in the Vietnam War.
The two-day Code Pink protest is called "Divest from the War Machine" and the activist will perform at the "U.S. responsibility for the legacies of war" vigil.
His participation comes amid a current climate of strong scrutiny of sex crimes in the wake of film producer Harvey Weinstein's downfall. Many women are coming forward to tell their stories of sexual harassment and assault, using the hashtag #MeToo on social media.
Over the years, the performer has repeatedly made excuses for his behavior in 1970. "You feel terrible about it, make your amends,’’ he told the Baltimore Jewish Times in 2006. "In that time, it was common practice, unfortunately – the whole groupie thing.’’
Yarrow came to fame as a member of the music group Peter, Paul, & Mary in the 1960s.