60-year-old man accused of sexually assaulting 13-year-old Hoquiam boy

Originally posted 7-17-19

Hoquiam, WA – A 60-year-old Mountlake Terrace man was arrested for the possible kidnapping and sexual assault against a 13-year-old Hoquiam boy.

Hoquiam Police Chief Jeff Myers tells KXRO that HPD received a report from the foster parent of the 13-year-old saying they were concerned about the boy being out later than anticipated and saw saw the boy getting out of a vehicle in the north end of Hoquiam.

The foster parent told officers that they did not know who the other person was in the vehicle was or where the child had been. They took a photo of the vehicle and license plate to give to police.

Officers say that the boy had been communicating over social media with a 60-year old man from Mountlake Terrace who had driven to Hoquiam after the victim claimed to be 18, not 13.

According to the report, when the two met, the suspect drove the 13-year old to a motel in Aberdeen where he was sexually assaulted.

After the foster parent reported the incident to Hoquiam officers, he took the child to St. Peter Hospital in Olympia for a sexual assault examination.

When officers went to the motel, they found the suspect’s vehicle and, with the assistance of the Aberdeen Police Department, the suspect was located and taken into custody where he was taken to the Hoquiam City Jail.

HPD says that the suspect claimed the victim told him he was 18, but he suspected he may have been younger – such as 16 or 17. Myers says that under Washington state law, the basic legal age of sexual consent is 16.

After securing a warrant, the motel room was searched and the vehicle was impounded for evidence.

HPD says that evidence suggests that the suspect drove to Hoquiam specifically to meet with the victim for sex, and detectives were not convinced the suspect believed the victim was actually over the age of 18.

They say that the man has education as a child psychologist, last employed by a medical provider as a contracted speech language pathologist/ child psychologist within a school district in King County.

The suspect, Robert Wayne Wright, was  charged and taken to Grays Harbor County Jail. He has since posted bail and on has been court ordered not to have contact with children under the age of 18.

The state Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction has been notified given the suspect’s employment within a public school.

As many sexual assaults are never reported, it is critical to empower victims to report abuses to law enforcement for criminal investigation. If there are additional allegations, victims are encouraged to call the local law enforcement agency where the offense occurred.

Anyone with information regarding the Hoquiam/ Aberdeen investigation should call HPD Detective David Peterson at (360) 532-0892 extension 276; or email .