A Louisiana man has been charged with harassment following an incident at a Franklin Township hotel.

Township police said that at 10:59 a.m. Sept. 7, Detective David Roberts and police Chief Jason Doll of the Franklin Township Police Department arrived at the Country Inn & Suites along Interchange Road after staff said an intoxicated man had been dropped there by Pennsylvania State Police earlier that morning and had been harassing an employee.

Management told police that the man, James W. O’Neal, 55, of Baton Rouge, had checked out.

They said the employee was getting the service area ready for the morning and O’Neal followed her back into the kitchen and she told him to stay out.

O’Neal was still sitting on a couch in the lobby, so Doll and Roberts took him into custody without incident.

A witness approached police and said he had been staying at the hotel because of home remodeling and was familiar to the staff, and related that the employee called his room and asked him to come out as she did not feel safe.

When he came out he saw O’Neal following the employee and touching her back.

O’Neal admitted to have been drinking alcoholic early that morning, and that he was following the worker around and that he did touch her on the back, as he was just trying to be friendly.

He admitted asking the worker to sit on the couch and turn out the light.

The worker told police that O’Neal “kept bothering me would not leave me alone then proceeded to (begin) touching my back and wanting a hug from me.”

O’Neal faces charges of harassment and public drunkenness.

O’Neal was arraigned before District Judge William J. Kissner of Palmerton, and posted monetary bail.

Charges were held over in a preliminary hearing Wednesday