2 teens say a man was inappropriate at the library. It wasn’t the first complaint

A Richland man is accused of kissing the hand of a teen girl in the city library and putting his hand on the leg of another.

Both girls, who were in the Richland Public Library studying and using the public computer, did not know the stranger who tried to befriend them, according to court documents.

The girls were shaking and upset when they reported the separate incidents to library staff, documents said.

Now, Roger E. Blewett Jr. is charged with two gross misdemeanors for his alleged contact with the teens on April 22.

Blewett, 38, is ordered to appear Dec. 12 in Benton County Superior Court on charges of communication with a minor for immoral purposes and fourth-degree assault.

Court documents show that a 15-year-old girl was in a library study room with the door closed when Blewett knocked on the door and looked inside the window.

The girl tried to ignore the stranger but “he was waving, knocking and pointing at something,” documents said.

Blewett allegedly continued to talk and gesture for the girl to open the door, so she got up to find out what he wanted.

Blewett asked the high school sophomore what she was studying and she tried to end the conversation, but he persisted.

The stranger then extended his hand and she pulled her hand away, but he quickly grabbed it and kissed it, court documents said.

He then told the girl she was pretty, winked at her and said he would see her around, documents said.

Elsewhere in the library that day, a 13-year-old girl was sitting at a computer desk when Blewett reportedly approached and took the chair next to her.

When he asked the girl’s name, she replied that she is not supposed to speak to strangers, court documents said. He persisted even though she again told him, “No.”

Blewett told the teen she was pretty, and reached down to put his hand on her leg, documents said. She pushed his hand away.

The stranger identified himself as “Ron” and told the teen to say, “Hi” if she ever saw him again.

Prosecutors noted that when the girls reported the incidents last spring, library staff told Richland police there had been several complaints of Blewett being inappropriate with patrons.