Some people should really consider changing their names and former New Hampshire Attorney General Peter Heed is one of them. Heed didn’t heed his peter and, as a result, got his dick caught in the zipper of a sex scandal.

CONCORD, N.H. – Attorney General Peter Heed abruptly resigned Tuesday because of a sexual harassment allegation.

Gov. Craig Benson said the alleged harassment occurred at a conference last month at the Mount Washington Hotel on preventing sexual and domestic abuse. Benson said he heard about the allegations late last week and received Heed’s letter Tuesday afternoon.

The alleged incident apparently occurred after hours on a dance floor.

“I’m an outgoing, enthusiastic guy, as you know, and I try very hard to be part of the people I’m with,” Heed said. “If in any way I unintentionally or ambiguously or in any way offended anyone, I’m sorry for that.”

The station said the woman, who is not identified, works for the state.

Benson said he did not disagree with Heed’s decision to step down.

Deputy Attorney General Kelly Ayotte, who Benson said will take over for Heed, praised her boss.

“I’ve worked with Peter for over a year. I have respect for him. It’s been a privilege to serve with him,” Ayotte said. “And I’ve never seen him act inappropriately.”

Marc Hathaway, the Sullivan County prosecutor, said his office was asked last Wednesday by Heed’s office to conduct the investigation, which “has commenced and is continuing.”

The conference was organized by the governor’s and attorney general’s offices. Rochester District Court Judge Franklin Jones was also suspended after the conference after several women claimed he groped them.

Heed’s resignation over sexual harassment accusations is the second by a high-profile state official in one year. In April 2003, Fish and Game Director Wayne Vetter resigned six months after being suspended over sexual harassment charges.

Heed was serving his second term as Cheshire County attorney when Benson nominated him to be attorney general in February 2003.

A Republican who graduated from Dartmouth College, Heed worked in the criminal division of the attorney general’s office from 1975-80. He left to enter private practice with a Keene law firm.

Ayotte worked for the attorney general’s office for five years before being named Benson’s legal counsel in January. She returned in March as deputy attorney general.

Early this year, Heed concluded a “volunteer” and friend of Benson, Linda Pepin, took $187,000 in state broker fees improperly while working on a state insurance contract. Heed sued to try to get the money back.

He concluded Pepin violated insurance regulations, but broke no criminal laws in accepting the fees without a broker’s license.

Last month, Heed made news when he harshly criticized the No. 2 man in the Catholic church in New Hampshire, accusing him of denying responsibility for his role in the church sexual abuse scandal.

Heed was responding to comments made by the Rev. Francis Christian, who said state prosecutors misrepresented the facts when they announced in 2002 that church leaders had protected sexually abusive priests.

The church and state have disputed who would pay for an audit that was part of an agreement precluding prosecution of the Diocese of Manchester.

“The church has taken the position that the audit we want is too thorough, too comprehensive. It might tell the truth and we don’t want that to happen,” Heed said sarcastically at the time.

Heed also found himself in the middle of a heated dispute on how the state should pay for public schools, advising Benson and legislative leaders last month that the state law to distribute education aid next year and several competing plans to replace it probably would not survive a court challenge.