Ex-Kennewick school superintendent gets delay in sex trafficking trial

A former Kennewick school superintendent now won’t face a federal jury until after the one-year anniversary of his arrest for allegedly trying to have sex with teen girls in Richland.

Paul W. Rosier, 75, requested the four-month delay in U.S. District Court.

In the motion, Rosier said he has been evaluated by experts but their reports are not done. Rosier and defense attorney Scott Johnson need those completed reports to “know how to proceed with the case,” he said.

The request was granted by Senior Judge Ed Shea, who set a new trial date for April.

Rosier was indicted for attempted child sex trafficking.

Court documents show he exchanged text messages for three days with someone he believed was a 16-year-old girl, but ended up being an undercover Kennewick detective.

The girl had offered up a nonexistent 13-year-old friend when arranging the sexual encounter with Rosier. He initially insisted the girl be of legal age, then agreed to the “hook up” and to bring money for both girls, documents said.

Rosier, who lives in Olympia, reportedly came to the Tri-Cities for business on April 1.

He was arrested walking through the hotel lobby allegedly on his way to meet the girls in the parking lot with the $200.

Rosier left the Kennewick School District in 2006 to work as executive director for the Washington Association of School Administrators in Olympia. He retired in 2014.

Rosier is out of custody and being monitored by federal probation officials using a GPS tracking device.

If convicted of the federal charge, he faces a minimum 15 years in prison with the possibility of life.

This story was originally published November 20, 2017 at 7:20 PM with the headline "Ex-Kennewick school superintendent gets delay in sex trafficking trial."