Published: June 17, 2008 12:05 am            

Beach party a bummer for Atlanta exec

The former CEO of a major Atlanta business faces eight counts of sexual battery for allegedly groping six women during a pool party at a private residence in Dalton and making unwanted sexual advances to two others on Saturday.

Randy Pike, 49, of 282111 Mill Creek Ave., Alpharetta, is the former CEO of Pike Nurseries, according to reports. Pike Nurseries is a well-known store in the Atlanta area.

Pike is accused of trying to pull off the bathing suit bottoms of six women at the pool party, according to a report from the Whitfield County Sheriff’s Office. Pike allegedly touched one woman’s thigh at an area hotel and offered to let the woman stay in his room.

Another woman claimed Pike “hugged her in a sexual manner” from behind.

“I felt like he thought I was a piece of meat,” said one of the women. She is not identified because she is an alleged victim of a sexual assault. “He thought just because he had a lot of money he could do that,” she said.

After arriving at the pool party in a helicopter, Pike went around telling the women he had a lot of money, the woman said.

Pike was in Dalton to judge the Miss Resaca Beach contest, said contest organizer Dan Bowen. The contest was Saturday night at the Northwest Georgia Trade and Convention Center. Pike was dismissed as a judge before the contest, Bowen said.

“After we heard there was a problem we asked him not to show up,” Bowen said. “The girls were upset.”

Pike was arrested at his Dalton hotel room shortly before 9 p.m. Saturday. He is out of jail on a $20,000 bond.

Pike did not immediately return phone calls seeking comment.

        

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