A man diagnosed with a concerning disorder has been placed in a Missouri mental health facility following several prison sentences for child sexual exploitation.
The Missouri Attorney General’s Office reported on Wednesday, July 3, that the Sexually Violent Predator Unit has successfully committed Harry Richardson, 47, to the Missouri Department of Mental Health. Following his single-day bench trial in Ray County, the decision was made the next day.
According to law enforcement officials, Richardson has a history of being diagnosed with pedophilic disorder and has been convicted of sexual-related crimes on multiple occasions since 1999. He had previously admitted to committing child molestation in the second degree and served a three-year prison sentence for engaging in sexual contact with a 13-year-old girl while she was asleep.
Following his release, court documents revealed that Richardson had been involved in online communication with an individual he thought was a 13-year-old girl, but was actually an undercover law enforcement officer. The conversations took a sexual turn before he decided to meet up with the girl. In 2009, he was convicted of enticing a child.
After serving his prison sentence for the 2009 case, Richardson resumed online chatting with someone he believed to be a 12-year-old girl, unaware that the person was actually an adult man. Requests were made for the “child” to meet him in Missouri. In 2014, he once again pleaded guilty to enticement of a child and failure to register as a sex offender.
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During Richardson’s time in prison, court records revealed that he was given the opportunity to participate in sex offender treatment on three different occasions. However, he failed to complete the programs. He made several inappropriate comments during his treatment, including mentioning a disturbing topic.
According to the AG’s Office, Richardson will continue to receive treatment at a secure mental health facility for dangerous sex offenders following the verdict on Tuesday. In addition, he will be under lifetime supervision with the Missouri Department of Corrections as reported by KCTV News.
AG Andrew Bailey has stated that the SVP Unit aims to secure civil commitment for individuals who have a mental abnormality that increases the likelihood of them committing predatory, sexually violent acts if they are not confined to a treatment facility.
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