19-year-old American teen of Tacoma accused of raping girl in bathroom of Morton park

Blaine Calverley, turned himself in after his father and the victim’s mother reported the incident to an officer with the Morton Police Department.

By Edward Era Barbacena 

A 19-year-old Tacoma man has been charged in Lewis County Superior Court after he allegedly raped a 14-year-old girl in the women’s bathroom of Gust Backstrom Park in Morton on Wednesday. 

The suspect, identified as Blaine Calverley, turned himself in after his father and the victim’s mother reported the incident to an officer with the Morton Police Department, according to court documents. 

In her statement to law enforcement, the alleged victim said Calverly “invited her to go into the bathroom” because “that is the only place to charge his phone” at about 1:30 a.m. on Wednesday, July 25, after the adults had gone to bed. 

The victim said she initially declined, as she was on the phone with her boyfriend, but went to go talk to Calverley after her phone died, according to an affidavit of probable cause filed in Lewis County Superior Court on Thursday. 

When she arrived at the bathroom, Calverley reportedly turned off the lights in the bathroom “and said he did not want anyone to see him in the girls’ bathroom” then asked the alleged victim to sit down next to him. When she declined, Calverley allegedly “put (his) hands on her shoulders and forced her down” before proceeding to rape her, while the victim continued to fight back and tell him no. 

Calverley was booked into the Lewis County Jail just before 9:50 a.m. on July 26 and has since been charged with one count of second-degree rape, defined in state law as forcibly compelling a victim to engage in sexual intercourse. 

The charge is a class A felony carrying a maximum penalty of life in prison. 

Bail is set at $50,000 and arraignment is scheduled for Thursday, Aug. 3.