A Level 3 sex offender that registered a Westport address just last week has been identified as the suspect who allegedly attempted to lure two 13-year-old Hoquiam girls into the men’s room at the Hoquiam Library Jan. 6.

According to Hoquiam Police Chief Jeff Myers, Richard Dean Glover was loitering near the restrooms of the library and was caught on a surveillance camera placing an “out of order” sign on the women’s restroom door. When the two girls approached the women’s restroom, the 70-year-0ld Glover suggested they use the men’s room, they told police.

The girls indicated they just needed a mirror and again the man suggested they use the men’s room. The girls immediately retreated upstairs to report the incident to the librarian as they felt the male was attempting to lure them into the men’s room, said Myers.

Video surveillance inside the library provided images of the suspect as he placed the handwritten out of order note on the woman’s restroom door before he went inside. He was then captured on video leaving the woman’s restroom with his shirt untucked before going into the men’s room.

Glover then lingered near the elevator until the two 13-year-olds went to use the women’s room at which time he could be seen apparently attempting to talk them into using the men’s room.

Officers secured the video surveillance and note as evidence. There was no identification of the male at the time and detectives continued to work to identify him. Last month, Aberdeen Police detectives notified Hoquiam detectives of a possible suspect identification arising from a similar incident that had occurred Jan. 16 at a business in Aberdeen. The suspect was subsequently identified as Glover, a registered Level III sex offender.

Given the nature of the incident in Hoquiam and the fact the behavior matched similar patterns of conduct in Glover’s prior convictions, the Grays Harbor County Sheriff’s Office conducted an additional public registered sex offender bulletin, to include publication in the newspaper. Myers said the Hoquiam Police Department will be distributing the Sheriff’s Office bulletin to locations around the city which contain a public-access restroom, to include schools, parks, businesses, the Grays Harbor YMCA, library, City Hall, Department of Licensing and other similar locations.

As of Monday, Glover is not wanted by the police as he has already been interviewed by Hoquiam detectives and criminal charges are being reviewed by the city attorney, said Myers.