du Pont heir avoids jail after raping three-year-old daughter

Robert H. Richards IV, the great grandson of du Pont family patriarch Irenee du Pont, avoided jail time after raping his three-year-old daughter in 2009.

Judge Jan Jurden ruled that Richards would benefit more from participating in a sex offenders rehabilitation program because "he will not fare well" in jail.

Richards is unemployed and lives off his trust fund. The du Pont family founded the DuPont chemical company famous for such inventions as nylon, Teflon, Kevlar, etc.

The light sentence only became available publicly after Richard's ex-wife filed a lawsuit charging that he also sexually abused his son. His prior conviction and light sentence was only for his daughter.

From HP:

According to the lawsuit filed by Richards' ex-wife, he admitted to assaulting his infant son in addition to his daughter between 2005 and 2007. Richards was initially indicted on two counts of second-degree child rape, felonies that translate to a 10-year mandatory jail sentence per count. He was released on $60,000 bail while awaiting his charges.

Richards hired one of the state's top law firms and was offered a plea deal of one count of fourth-degree rape charges -- which carries no mandatory minimum prison sentencing. He accepted, and admitted to the assault.

In her sentence, Jurden said he would benefit from participating in a sex offenders rehabilitation program rather than serving prison time.

Now that everyone knows, let's hope he doesn't get away with it this time. This makes me sick and angry. I hope the courts in Delaware do the right thing. Shame on that judge for having no conscience.

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