Du Pont heir dodged prison for raping 3-year-old daughter after judge ruled he 'would not fare well'

[Burnouts3s3]

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/crime/woman-sues-ex-husband-du-pont-heir-dodged-prison-raping-3-year-old-daughter-article-1.1740180

Robert H. Richards IV, 47 ? whose great-grandfather was du Pont family patriarch Irenee du Pont ? was given just eight years probation after pleading guilty to raping his 3-year-old daughter. But now his ex-wife, Tracy Richards, is suing him for sexually abusing the girl and their young son.



Robert H. Richards IV ? scion of the family who built the chemical empire and kin to the co-founders of a prestigious law firm, Richards Layton & Finger ? was given eight years probation and was ordered to seek treatment after being convicted of fourth-degree rape in 2008, the records show.

Officials managed to keep the case away from the public spotlight until this month ? when his ex-wife, Tracy Richards, filed a lawsuit seeking compensatory and punitive damages for abusing their daughter and son, the News Journal reported.

Richards, 47 ? whose great-grandfather is du Pont family patriarch Irenee du Pont ? has never been criminally charged for crimes against his son.

The recently filed litigation claims that the father ? who lives in a $1.8 million mansion near Winterthur Museum ? raped his daughter, now 11, several times beginning in 2005, according to the newspaper.

Two years later, when the girl was 5 years old, she told her grandmother, Donna Burg, that she was being sexually abused by Richards, court documents show.

The little girl said her father told her it was ?our little secret,? but said she didn?t want the man touching her anymore, according to the court docs.

Tracy Richards, after Burg told her of the sickening abuse, confronted her then-husband and had him arrested for raping the child.

Richards used ?his family?s wealth and position in the community? to hire an expensive defense team and denied the charges, according to the lawsuit obtained by the News Journal.

But after failing a polygraph test, he admitted to abusing the little girl. Richards allegedly told investigators ?he was ill and that he needed medical treatment,? the lawsuit said.

Richards pleaded guilty in 2008 to fourth-degree rape ? a deal that helped him dodge any jail time.

Superior Judge Jan Jurden sentenced Richards to eight years in prison, but suspended the time for probation that requires monthly visits with a case officer.

I think this is a grave injustice. I don't care if he 'pleaded guilty', that scumbag should face jail time. Currently there's an online petition to bring justice to him. I don't know how much it will help, but I would certainly like to see some actual justice done instead of this sham of a trial.

http://www.change.org/petitions/beau-biden-indict-robert-h-richards-iv-on-the-original-two-counts-of-second-degree-rape-of-a-child-class-b-violent-felonies-that-carry-a-mandatory-10-year-prison-term?recruiter=49890700&utm_campaign=twitter_link&utm_medium=twitter&utm_source=share_petition

 

[The Rogue Wolf]

Remember, kids, the rules don't apply to you when you're rich! Let any ordinary person try to get out of a prison sentence for rape because "I wouldn't fare well in jail"- his head would still be spinning from having the book thrown at him when the cell door closed.

 

[RJ 17]

Gotta love the Affluenza Defense
http://www.cnn.com/2014/02/05/us/texas-affluenza-teen/
And all variations of it, which this case certainly seems to be.

 

[game-lover]

As much as this infuriates me, the judge was probably right.

There's that saying about what happens to child rapists in prison...

I hope the civil case ruins him until he's forced to take his chances on the street.

 

[Shoggoth2588]

Signed and bugged my facebook friends to sign as well! It's really, REALLY hard to not just say "fuck wealthy people" when this type of story comes up. Hopefully this...human...will get his just desserts.

 

[PsychicTaco115]

Oh my

Well, it seems that the justice for all concept seems to be out-dated for the elite...

But what on Earth is fourth-degree rape? .-.

 

[Denamic]

If he's likely to face serious danger in prison, it's fair to not send him there. He should absolutely be punished, just not by being shanked in a cafeteria.

 

[LetalisK]

And this is why, if I ever had super powers, I would be a villain. I'd probably go mad with power and not only off this guy, but probably the judge as well.

 

[Ldude893]

If I have to be completely honest, sending him to prison for this would be a death sentence in itself, so the judge's decision is somewhat justified. I still want this sick bastard punished, but I trust that the rest of the public's going to dish him hell themselves.

 

[Robot Number V]

Guys, I'm pretty sure the phrase "Wouldn't do well" isn't referring to him being uncomfortable due to the shitty living conditions, I think it's referring to him being raped and murdered by other inmates. The judge just didn't want to give him a death sentence.

This has exactly shit to do with his money, and it REALLY has nothing to do with "affulenza".

 

[therightpirate]

And this is why, if I ever had super powers, I would be a villain. I'd probably go mad with power and not only off this guy, but probably the judge as well.

It frightens me that people are more afraid of pedophiles getting shanked in prison than releasing them into the public. If we didn't send people to prison for fear of shanking then we wouldn't send anyone to prison (considering Jeffery Dahmer was killed in prison do we now have to look back and say that the judge who sent him there was mistaken? Should we have just given him a light sentence as he was clearly at risk?). As you can see that's a whole different discussion and has nothing to do with punishing someone for their actual crime.

If you're worried about prison violence then change the policies and procedures of the prison system not the sentencing procedures. Judges shouldn't be swayed in their sentencing by any worries of the perceived issues inherent to the prison system. I just hope to God that this monster never again gets the opportunity to re-offend, but it certainly looks like he's been given that license as he's committed the most heinous of crimes with no repercussions.

There are lines you cross when you commit certain violent and sexual crimes - these are lines that sane and safe members of the community would never think to cross. Had this man committed corporate fraud he would have likely gone to jail but in this case when he's shown how little compassion or empathy he has for the sanctity of his own daughter's life and well being we let this horrid monster walk free with a slap on the wrist. It's inexcusable. Rape and murder are two crimes of equal weight in my eyes. I've known enough victims of rape to know that they wish their attacker had killed them as they spend the rest of their lives trying to cope with the horrors of that crime. The world would be safer without this monster walking the streets. There was a recent case here in Australia where a twice convicted pedophile who each time before was given slaps on the wrists has finally been put behind bars for the abduction and murder of a 10 year old boy who went missing a decade ago. Pedophiles have crossed a line that can't be uncrossed and thus pose a threat to the wide community. Let the few that are found and convicted sit in jail for their crimes and spare us their presence in a civilized society.

I just feel horrible for this little girl and her brother. They'll have to go through their lives with copious issues of trust, love, rejection and the memory of their abuse. The one man in the world that was supposed to protect them shattered their childhood into pieces. The psychological and emotional toll of that is incomprehensible. I hope that whatever monies they are able to acquire through any further lawsuits, which hopefully drain this man of any current wealth, are able to pay for that long and difficult road ahead and spare them as many hurdles as it can. But money can't buy them what this deviant has stolen from them. And that's the sad reality :-(

 

[Jacco]

Guys, I'm pretty sure the phrase "Wouldn't do well" isn't referring to him being uncomfortable due to the shitty living conditions, I think it's referring to him being raped and murdered by other inmates. The judge just didn't want to give him a death sentence.

This has exactly shit to do with his money, and it REALLY has nothing to do with "affulenza".

Don't you just love how everyone automatically jumps to conclusions without the facts? Threads like this make me not want to be on the internet.

 

[LetalisK]

snip

To be fair, I'd probably wax the corporate fraud guy too, if it's on the massive scale we've had recently. Just saying, I'd be a colossal dick if I had super powers.

 

[CpT_x_Killsteal]

Since when has the American "Justice" System given two shits about prisoners anyway? There's a reason people like this get shanked in prison, even the "regular" rapists and murderers think he's obscene. Seriously hope someone kills this twat anyway, just to show that being rich doesn't put you above everyone else.

 

[LetalisK]

Guys, I'm pretty sure the phrase "Wouldn't do well" isn't referring to him being uncomfortable due to the shitty living conditions, I think it's referring to him being raped and murdered by other inmates. The judge just didn't want to give him a death sentence.

This has exactly shit to do with his money, and it REALLY has nothing to do with "affulenza".

You might have a point if all we had were grimdark Oz-esque prisons. And even in said prisons, it's not unusual to have prisoners at high risk of being harmed sectioned off and protected with other similar prisoners. Typically, if something does happen to a pedophile or any one else at risk, it's because he pled guilty to a lesser charge that got him stuck in general population instead of the segregated section like where he's supposed to be, ironically enough.

 

[Azure23]

Guys, I'm pretty sure the phrase "Wouldn't do well" isn't referring to him being uncomfortable due to the shitty living conditions, I think it's referring to him being raped and murdered by other inmates. The judge just didn't want to give him a death sentence.

This has exactly shit to do with his money, and it REALLY has nothing to do with "affulenza".

You might have a point if all we had were grimdark Oz-esque prisons. And even in said prisons, it's not unusual to have prisoners at high risk of being harmed sectioned off and protected with other similar prisoners. Typically, if something does happen to a pedophile or any one else at risk, it's because he pled guilty to a lesser charge that got him stuck in general population instead of the segregated section like where he's supposed to be, ironically enough.

Yeah this rich fuck would be sequestered for his own safety. Most prisons don't put rapists or pedophiles with the general population anymore. So this judge's defense of his verdict was complete and utter bullshit. It's likely he just didn't want to face any repercussions from such a powerful family. The man is an an abject coward.

 

[lacktheknack]

Yeah, there's more to it than just "lol rich dude".

For one thing, he's been found guilty. If he so much as bites a slice of bread he didn't pay for, that could be enough to put him in prison. Probation is a scary thing to be on (although not as scary as being a child molester in prison).

What interests me is that he claimed he was ill and needed help. Did he get any?

 

[CrystalShadow]

Eh, I'm rather on the fence on something like this.

On the one hand, it's a fair point. 'justice' shouldn't be based around the idea of 'an eye for an eye' or something of that nature, because really, then you're just degenerating into being just as bad as the criminals or people that do horrible deranged things in the first place.

On the other hand, while I can support the reasoning of the judge, it seems to have been used to let someone off scot-free.
Not because they were innocent, not because there were any mitigating circumstances to their actions, but simply because they wouldn't cope with prison?

All that really implies is there's something about the prison system that needs fixing so that it can safely lock these people up without them being at risk.

This kind of thing sets a bad precedent.

(Now, I have to say my idea of justice isn't mainstream perhaps. Anything that in any way reeks of 'vengeance' is not justice as far as I'm concerned... 'punishment' isn't and shouldn't be for the sake of the person that did something, because that really doesn't accomplish much of anything useful. Whatever punishments exist for crimes are really only useful insofar as they deter others from doing the same thing. Anything else is pretty much pandering to our species' worst instincts, and should not be encouraged.)

 

[VoidWanderer]

Signed and bugged my facebook friends to sign as well! It's really, REALLY hard to not just say "fuck wealthy people" when this type of story comes up. Hopefully this...human...will get his just desserts.

Human?

Higher title than I would have given that.... filth.


There are crimes in the world that I can 'get', I understand a need for almost all of them, but paedophilia and rape are the ones I will never accept as having a justifiable reason.

Throw the main to general population and start the clock. Livestream his death, for his death should be like his crime, inhumane.

 

[BathorysGraveland2]

Human?

Higher title than I would have given that.... filth.


There are crimes in the world that I can 'get', I understand a need for almost all of them, but paedophilia and rape are the ones I will never accept as having a justifiable reason.

Throw the main to general population and start the clock. Livestream his death, for his death should be like his crime, inhumane.

It's posts like this that make me realise that maybe, just maybe, our politicians aren't that bad after all. Because they could be like you instead. A hell of a lot fucking worse.

What interests me is that he claimed he was ill and needed help. Did he get any?

I agree. I'm curious to see if anything was done about that as well, though I seriously doubt it. The mentality toward pedophilia really needs overhauling I think.