Dupont Heir got probation for raping 3yo daughter judge rules he would not fare well in prison

Bronx Bombers

Robert Richards IV, an heir to the du Pont family fortune, served no jail time even though he plead guilty to the fourth-degree rape of his 3-year-old daughter in 2008.

The details of that rape case, which received little media attention at the time, were revealed in a lawsuit filed on March 18th on behalf of Richards’ two children by his ex-wife, Tracy Richards, who is now accusing her former husband of also sexually abusing their son when he was toddler. The lawsuit is “seeking compensatory and punitive damages for assault, negligence, and intentional and negligent infliction of emotional distress on his two children.”

According to the lawsuit, Delaware Superior Court Judge Jan Jurden said in a 2009 ruling that Robert Richards would not “fare well” in prison, reports Delaware’s The News Journal. Jurden originally sentenced Richards to eight years in prison, then suspended that punishment in favor of Level II probation and ordered the heir — who is supported by a family trust — to pay $4,395 to the Delaware Violent Crimes Compensation Board.

In 2010 Delaware police investigated allegations that Richards had abused his 19-month old son but found no evidence to support those claims. The News Journal reports that investigators are giving the case another look because the new lawsuit alleges that Richards admitted during a lie detector test associated with his probation to abusing his son.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/reliable-source/wp/2014/03/31/du-pont-heir-received-no-jail-time-after-rape-conviction/

Richards was no frail defendant, court records show, listing him at 6 feet, 4 inches tall and between 250 and 276 pounds. Nor do court records cite any physical illnesses.

O'Neill said the way the Richards case was handled might cause the public to be skeptical about "how a person with great wealth may be treated by the system."

Richards, who is unemployed and supported by a trust fund, owns a 5,800-square-foot mansion in Greenville he bought for $1.8 million in 2005. He also lists a home in the exclusive North Shores neighborhood near Rehoboth Beach, according to the state's sex abuse registry. His great-grandfather is du Pont family patriarch Irenee du Pont, and his father is Robert H. Richards III, a retired partner in the Richards Layton & Finger law firm.

Fourth-degree rape is a Class C violent felony that by law can bring up to 15 years in prison, though guidelines suggest zero to 2½ years in prison.

At his February 2009 sentencing, Hrivnak recommended probation, Biden's chief deputy Ian R. McConnel said, adding that in retrospect he wished she would have sought prison time. Hrivnak would not comment.

Biden spokesman Jason Miller said the attorney general – who routinely hails the prosecution of child predators as a top priority for his office – did not know about the case.

http://www.delawareonline.com/story/news/crime/2014/03/28/sunday-preview-du-pont-heir-stayed-prison/7016769/

Simply disgusting and the fact that this story has been buried all these years is an outrage.

mickeyrat

solution, revoke the trust or bestow it on the kids. Let this man live in reality for a while.

hedonist

I'm curious who would "fare well" in prison.

Affluence aside - do the crime, do the fucking time.

I'd also place a helluva lot of blame on the ruling on the part of Jurden. How one can claim that justice has been served, punishment given, for the rape of a CHILD - at the initial price of eight years in prison (that in itself is disgustingly weak), or the revised cost of less than $4,400 - just floors me.

Judge and DuPont are beyond pieces of shit.

chadwick

what a wonderful scumbag collective. they all should be strung up by their fingernails & teeth

that dupont child molester should be offed as soon as possible

brianlux

hedonist said:

I'm curious who would "fare well" in prison.

Affluence aside - do the crime, do the fucking time.

I'd also place a helluva lot of blame on the ruling on the part of Jurden. How one can claim that justice has been served, punishment given, for the rape of a CHILD - at the initial price of eight years in prison (that in itself is disgustingly weak), or the revised cost of less than $4,400 - just floors me.

Judge and DuPont are beyond pieces of shit.

I totally agree, hedonist. Richards is the same. Disgusting.

hedonist

D'oh! Thanks, I meant Richards.

Bronx Bombers

hedonist said:

I'm curious who would "fare well" in prison.

Affluence aside - do the crime, do the fucking time.

I'd also place a helluva lot of blame on the ruling on the part of Jurden. How one can claim that justice has been served, punishment given, for the rape of a CHILD - at the initial price of eight years in prison (that in itself is disgustingly weak), or the revised cost of less than $4,400 - just floors me.

Judge and DuPont are beyond pieces of shit.

You can add Bidens kid to that list as well,are we really expected to believe the attorney general of that state wasn't aware of a case involving a DuPont family member?

jlaustin

This is jaw droppingly disgusting! w.m.a. Justice is a joke in this country.

Thirty Bills Unpaid

A revolting case.

I had prepared something more lengthy, but have opted just to voice my disgust.

Pingfah

He should get treatment yes, IN PRISON.

Meanwhile some kid will have his whole life ruined today for smoking a joint.

Bronx Bombers

Pingfah said:

He should get treatment yes, IN PRISON.

A crime like this usually receives life in prison so treatment shouldn't be a concern for this baby raping piece of shit, just toss him in a cell and let him rot.

Jason P

This one has faulty wiring that I do not believe can ever be fixed. Volcano pit or dinasour island for this one, says I.

Pingfah

Bronx Bombers said:

Pingfah said:

He should get treatment yes, IN PRISON.

A crime like this usually receives life in prison so treatment shouldn't be a concern for this baby raping piece of shit, just toss him in a cell and let him rot.

While we may wish that were true, it simply isn't, so your comment seems pretty pointless. It says right in the article the crime he was charged with has a maximum sentence of 15 years.

Even if jailed he would have been released eventually, and that being the case, treatment is essential.

backseatLover12

Well, the trend towards affluence meaning you get away with crime seems to be on the uprise. I knew the legal system in this country was corrupt. How do we put a stop to this (besides a lone gunman killing this guy when he's alone in an alley)?

josevolution

So disturbing ..

gimmesometruth27

affluenza

hedonist

gimmesometruth27 said:

affluenza

Excellent.

Apparently, DuPont "owns" most of Delaware.

Anyone in their pocket - especially those who supposedly advocate for victims like the little girl who was, umm...raped in the fourth degree, whatever the hell that means, should be ashamed of themselves and removed from their position post-haste.

Integrity and justice, my ass.