Wenatchee man pleads not guilty

RITZVILLE – A Wenatchee man has pleaded not guilty to second-degree attempted rape of a child.

Royal Eaton Dana, 32, of Wenatchee, pleaded not guilty Jan. 3 in Adams County Superior Court, records show.

The charge stems from a Dec. 16 arrest by Othello police.

According to the probable cause statement, the arrest was made after detectives responded to an online ad, and carried on a text message conversation with the defendant, while impersonating a 13-year-old girl, records show.

Dana allegedly drove from Wenatchee to meet the “girl” in the parking lot of the municipal pool, records show. When he arrived, he got nervous, deleted the text messages and started to leave.

Detectives seeing his vehicle leaving texted him again, coaxing him back to the park, where he was arrested, records show. He had condoms and alcohol in his possession.

Public Defender Barrett Scudder argued for reduced bail, which had been set at $20,000 by Ritzville District Court Judge Andrea Russell on Dec. 17, records show.

Adams County Superior Court Judge Steve Dixon reduced the bail amount to $10,000 and set a trial date for Feb. 22, records show.