Robert H. Richards IV (born 1966/1967) is a convicted child rapist and great-grandson of chemical magnate

Irénée du Pont Irénée du Pont I (December 21, 1876 – December 19, 1963) was an American businessman, president of the DuPont company and head of the Du Pont trust. Early life Irénée du Pont I was born on December 21, 1876, in New Castle, Delaware, the so ...

and heir to the

du Pont family The du Pont family () or Du Pont family is a prominent American family descended from Pierre Samuel du Pont de Nemours (1739–1817). It has been one of the richest families in the United States since the mid-19th century, when it founded its f ...

fortune.

Biography

Richards is the son of Robert H. Richards III and Mariana, daughter of Mariana DuPont Stillman. He lives in

Delaware Delaware ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Maryland to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and New Jersey and the Atlantic Ocean to its east. The state takes its name from the adjacent Del ...

, and owns three homes, located in Greenville and North Shores. He married Tracy Richards, but they later divorced.

Rape conviction and allegations

In 2009, Richards entered a guilty

plea In legal terms, a plea is simply an answer to a claim made by someone in a criminal case under common law using the adversarial system. Colloquially, a plea has come to mean the assertion by a defendant at arraignment, or otherwise in response ...

and was convicted of raping his 3-year-old daughter, after the girl reported the abuse to her grandmother. Instead of serving out his eight-year prison sentence, the sentencing order signed by

Superior Court Judge Jan R. Jurden reportedly considered that the "defendant will not fare well" in prison and the eight-year sentence was suspended. Delaware Public Defender Brendan J. O'Neill expressed surprise that Jurden would use such a rationale to avoid sending Richards to prison. According to ''

ABA Journal The ''ABA Journal'' (since 1984, formerly ''American Bar Association Journal'', 1915–1983, evolved from '' Annual Bulletin'', 1908–1914) is a monthly legal trade magazine and the flagship publication of the American Bar Association. It is no ...

'', Judge Jurden "didn’t say 'he will not fare well in prison' during the hearing", but the phrase appeared in the notes section of the sentencing order, and may have reflected arguments made by the defense lawyer. The sentencing occurred as part of a

plea deal A plea bargain (also plea agreement or plea deal) is an agreement in criminal law proceedings, whereby the prosecutor provides a concession to the defendant in exchange for a plea of guilt or ''nolo contendere.'' This may mean that the defendant ...

. In 2010, allegations were made that Richards had also molested his son beginning in December 2005 and continuing for two years. Police and prosecutors investigated but did not find sufficient evidence to pursue charges. Delaware Attorney General

Beau Biden Joseph Robinette "Beau" Biden III (February 3, 1969 – May 30, 2015) was an American politician, lawyer, and officer in the Army Judge Advocate General's Corps from Wilmington, Delaware. The oldest child of current U.S. president Joe Bi ...

later defended the sentencing of Richards to probation, saying there was a strong chance of the prosecution losing at trial making a plea bargain necessary, noting the weakness of the evidence. Although Richards was ordered by Jurden to go through in-patient treatment at a

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facility, he has failed to do so. In 2014, Richards's former wife, Tracy Richards, filed a lawsuit seeking damages for the abuse of his daughter. The lawsuit also claims that the

polygraph A polygraph, often incorrectly referred to as a lie detector test, is a device or procedure that measures and records several physiological indicators such as blood pressure, pulse, respiration, and skin conductivity while a person is asked ...

tests Richards took in April 2010 during his probation supported allegations that he had molested his son. These reports were provided to Jurden. In April 2014, Superior Court Judge Richard F. Stokes denied Richards's request to seal the court files, stating that the proceedings were open to the public and this was a

First Amendment First or 1st is the ordinal form of the number one (#1). First or 1st may also refer to: *World record, specifically the first instance of a particular achievement Arts and media Music * 1$T, American rapper, singer-songwriter, DJ, and reco ...

issue. By the end of June 2014, it was reported that a sealed confidential settlement had been reached on the lawsuit. Critics questioned whether Richards's wealth and prominence led to unfair preference in the legal system. The case was compared to

Ethan Couch Ethan Anthony Couch (born April 11, 1997) is an American who, at age 16, killed four people while driving under the influence on June 15, 2013, in Burleson, Texas. Couch, while intoxicated and under the influence of drugs, was driving on a re ...

, whose " affluenza" defense infamously earned him probation for killing four people while driving intoxicated.

References

{{Reflist, 30em Du Pont family Wealth in the United States Social privilege