Repeat Sex Offender in Raleigh Sentenced to 15 Years for Receiving Child Pornography

WILMINGTON, N.C. – A repeat sex offender was sentenced yesterday to 180 months imprisonment followed by five years of supervised release for Receipt of Child Pornography.    

According to court documents and other information presented in court, in May 2021, Robert John Richards, 38, of Raleigh, was investigated by the Raleigh Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation for child exploitation offenses.      

On July 14, 2015, Robert John Richards pled guilty to Second Degree Sexual Exploitation of a Minor and two counts of Indecent Liberties with a Child in State Court.  He was given a suspended sentence and placed on probation for five years.  While on probation, he was charged with and pled guilty to Failure to Notify of Change of Address and received another suspended sentence, which extended his probation.  A part of his probation was that he was not to possess any sexually stimulating or sexually oriented materials as deemed inappropriate by the probation officer. 

On May 25, 2021, North Carolina state probation officers met with Richards and asked for consent to search his devices.  Richards agreed and provided passwords for his devices.  His phone showed visits to a site sometimes used to disseminate child pornography.  In a Discord text application, officers found conversations discussing child sexual abuse.  Richards also had a laptop containing multiple images of child pornography.  He was arrested for a probation violation, and law enforcement obtained a search warrant for his digital devices.

A search of his digital devices revealed 234 images and 10 videos of child sexual abuse material. Some of the images and videos depicted infants/toddlers and sadistic and masochistic conduct.

Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina announced the sentencing by Chief U.S. District Judge Richard E. Myers II. The Raleigh Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Charity Wilson prosecuted the case.

Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:23-CR-55-M.