DuPont heir avoids jail time after raping two of his children

by John Vibes

A DuPont family heir who avoided jail time after pleading guilty to raping his 3-year-old daughter almost a decade ago, now faces a lawsuit from his former wife that accuses him of sexually abusing his toddler son.

Robert H. Richards IV, 47, who is supported by a trust fund and who paid $1.8 million for his 5,800-square-foot mansion near Winterthur Museum, pleaded guilty in 2008 to fourth-degree rape of his daughter, according to USA Today.  For pleading guilty to raping his daughter he was only sentenced to probation, and he has seen no consequences in this most recent case of raping his toddler aged son.

Richards is a member of both the DuPont family, who built the worldwide chemical empire, and the Richards family, who co-founded the prestigious corporate law firm Richards Layton & Finger.

Richards was able avoid any jail time, thanks to his overpriced lawyers and the prestige of his families.

Currently, the charges being filed against him are only civil.  His ex wife has filed a lawsuit against him for punitive damages.

The lawsuit points to comments that Richards made while on probation.

According to the lawsuit, he admitted in April 2010 to sexually abusing his son. Those assaults began around December 2005, when the boy was 19 months old, and continued for about two years, the lawsuit said.

These accusations are not just hearsay, as Richards allegedly made a confession during a lie detector test. Richards told the examiner he “was very concerned that something happened with his son, but that he has repressed the memories.’” He told the examiner he worried that his acts were “similar to what happened with his daughter,” the lawsuit said. “But he promised that whatever I did to my son, I will never do it again.”

“This self-confessed, admitted rapist and child abuser didn’t go to jail, and, in fact, he stays in luxury where he has always been,”attorney Thomas C. Crumplar, who represents the children and Richards’ ex-wife Tracy, said during a news conference Tuesday.