Man arrested in child sex case

OTHELLO – A Wenatchee man is being held on $20,000 bail after allegedly attempting to meet a minor for sex in the park lot of the city swimming pool.

Royal Eaton Dana, 32, of Wenatchee, was arraigned Friday, Dec. 17, in Adams County Superior Court for second-degree attempted rape of a child and prostitution.

Dana was formally charged Monday, Dec. 20, in Adams County Superior Court on second-degree attempted rape of a child. The prostitution charge was dropped.

He was arraigned Friday, Dec. 17, before Judge Andrea Russell, who appointed a public defender and set bail at $20,000.

Dana was arrested about 1 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 16, 2021, in the pool’s parking lot following nearly a weeklong investigation.

The case began Dec. 10 when an Othello police detective responded to an ad on a website known for advertising prostitution services, records show. The detective initiated a text conversation with a man later identified as Dana.

Over the course of several days, the detective played the role of a 13-year old girl who wanted to have sex for the first time, records show. In a series of text messages, the detective and Dana agreed the suspect would drive to Othello for the purpose of having sex with the teenager.

They also agreed the “teenager’ would reimburse Dana $30 for gas, records show. And that they would meet at the pool, 1135 E. Pine St.

When the suspect arrived at the pool parking lot driving a 2010 Subaru Outback, he started to leave, records show. That’s when the detective texted him again, asking if he was driving a green car and why he was leaving.

Dana returned to the park in his Subaru Forester, where he was contacted by Othello Police and determined to have been a party to the chain of text messages, records show.

The suspect had hard seltzer alcoholic beverages, condoms and lube in his car, records show.

He was arrested and transported to the police department where he agreed to be interviewed by law enforcement officers.

During the interview, he allegedly told police he had an alternate personality that was addicted to sex, records show. He also said he used a free third-party phone application to disguise his actual telephone number.

Dana also confessed to deleting all the text messages off of his phone, records show.

He did so, “I had a bad feeling,” he said, records show.

Dana will next appear in court at 10 a.m. Jan. 3.