Accused child rapist’s whereabouts still undisclosed

State officials refuse to disclose the whereabouts of an accused child rapist after psychiatrists persuaded prosecutors to drop charges that the man abducted and raped a 2-year-old boy last year.

The state Department of Social and Health Services would not say whether Richard L. Welch, 56, has been sent to Eastern State Hospital or was evaluated, as a judge ordered.

He is not in jail.

“We cannot discuss our patients, even to confirm or deny that someone is a patient,” said DSHS spokesman John Wiley.

Spokane Prosecuting Attorney Larry Haskell said Welch was in the custody of DSHS. He would not release more details.

Police say Welch kidnapped the boy from his north Spokane home in April 2014 and then drove him to an Airway Heights motel room and raped him. They recovered a bottle of sexual lubricant, and when they arrested Welch he was wearing women’s underwear. At the time of his arrest, detectives had been looking for Welch after receiving reports that he was “contacting” teenage girls walking home from school and had thrown flowers at one of them.

Welch has a criminal record including assault, domestic violence, impersonating a police officer and indecent exposure.

He has been a suspect in at least 40 other cases that include child luring, stalking, trespassing, harassment and lewd conduct. He also has a history of displaying pornography and women’s underwear in public.

Prosecutors charged Welch with kidnapping after a convenience store clerk in Airway Heights spotted Welch with the child and knew Welch did not have children. The clerk took the child and called police. Welch was arrested after he drove to the Spokane Veterans Administration Medical Center and told employees he had taken a child to his motel room. Employees called police.

The charges were dismissed in September after two psychiatrists submitted reports that said Welch was not competent to stand trial. At that time, Spokane Superior Court Judge Greg Sypolt ordered that Welch be evaluated within 72 hours for involuntary commitment to Eastern State Hospital.

But no documents have been filed indicating that the judge’s orders were followed.

Wiley said he could not confirm whether the evaluation took place or if Welch was committed to Eastern State.

Haskell said he does not know if Welch has been committed to Eastern or if the ordered process is still underway.

“He’s not on the street,” Haskell said. “I can tell you he is in the custody of the Department of Social and Health Services.”

According to state law, DSHS must give him a 30-day advance notice if they plan to release Welch, Haskell said.

A physical exam of the child showed evidence of sexual assault, according to court documents.

The boy was last seen at his home in north Spokane by his parents at midnight on April 2. They reported him missing at 5:20 a.m. after they awoke and could not find him. When he was turned over to police the child had a blanket that the mother said had been placed high on a shelf in a closet in their home, according to court documents.

At the time Welch said he picked up the child, whom he said was a 7-year-old girl, in the area of Wellesley and Lincoln. He told police he intended to give the child a ride home. Instead he took the child to his motel room because “that’s what I wanted to do,” court records say.