This man was found guilty of raping his 3-year-old daughter. He served no jail time.

This post deals with details of child sexual abuse and could be triggering for some readers.

This is one of those stories, which make you realise that something needs to change in how society perceives and prosecutes child sex offences.

The heir to an obscenely wealthy family – the du Pont family who own a large chemical business in the US – has been spared jail. He has been spared jail after admitting to a court that he raped his three-year-old daughter.

Robert H Richards was charged back in 2009 with fourth-degree rape of his daughter. The abuse took place a decade ago, and went on for a period of three years. At the same time, Richards was accused by his ex-wife of raping his son – also a toddler – although he was never prosecuted.

Tracy Richards alleged that her ex-husband assaulted his son, and also penetrated his daughter with his fingers while masturbating.

Richard told his young daughter “to keep what he had done to her a secret”. However, in 2007 she told her grandmother.

But when the case against Richards raping his daughter was heard, the judge decided that he might “not fare well” behind bars in jail, and so handed down an eight-year suspended sentence.

Richards was not sentenced to spend any time in jail.

Instead, Delaware Superior Court Judge Jan Jurden decided that Richards needed treatment, and ordered him to “participate in a sex offenders” treatment program.

The insignificance of the sentence has now come to light, as Richard’s ex-wife has filed a lawsuit seeking compensation for her children. Currently Richards lives in a $1.8 million mansion in Greenville – and is unemployed living off a multi-million dollar trust fund – while his wife and children are renting.

Tracy is seeking compensatory and punitive damages for intentional and negligent infliction of emotional distress, negligence, and assault. In the lawsuit she filed, she says that the proven assault and alleged assault caused the children ‘long-term injuries’ including depression, post-traumatic stress disorder and shame.

Attorney Thomas Crumplar, representing Tracy Richards, said that, “’Making matters worse this self admitted rapist and child abuser has not paid a single penny to these children for his crimes. There is no provision whatsoever for them for their future after they turn 18.”

Richards is currently on probation – and still has never been charged with any crimes in regards to his son.

Bravehearts are an organisation that help the victims of child sex abuse.

You can find more information about them here.