80 year old child molester Richard Gross punched in Nevada court by former victim, Tyler Fu after avoiding jail in suspended sentence as former alleged victim expresses frustration with legal system.
‘I was extremely angry.’ An 80 year old man convicted of molesting a then 8 year old child was punched by the victim in a Las Vegas court after reaching a plea deal with prosecutors which spared the octogenarian jail time.
Tylor Fu, now 29, was arrested on a misdemeanor battery charge after hitting Richard Gross in the face during his sentencing on Oct. 2, authorities said.
The alleged molestation happened when Gross was Fu’s babysitter when the then alleged victim was 8 years old and on.
‘It just feels like the right thing to do…’
In an interview with 8NewsNow, Fu, now a married father of two, admitted he felt ‘extremely angry’ when Gross’ plea deal was announced.
‘I know he’s old, but that doesn’t change anything like that, doesn’t change the damage that he caused, the horrific effects that I had to live through for decades, and it was not justice at all,’ Fu told the outlet.
Gross was leaving the courtroom with his wife and attorney when Fu stood up and punched the elderly man in the face, causing him to fall to the floor, according to an arrest report obtained by 8NewsNow.
Gross later complained he briefly passed out and had to be taken to a hospital. His wife told the police his glasses were broken.
Following his arrest, Fu released a statement through his lawyer expressing remorse for his violent outburst — while also seemingly justifying his actions.
‘While it was on some level cathartic, my actions in court were not appropriate,’ the statement read in part. ‘I was overwhelmed by emotion at the hearing, which got the better of me. I was and am deeply troubled by the fact that Richard Gross received no prison time, but I do understand these things happen sometimes in criminal proceedings.’
‘It just feels like the right thing to do and I really want all the kids out there to know if you’ve been, you know, sexually abused, it’s not right and you need to report it,’ Fu said.
‘We cannot tolerate sexual abuse of children, and it is absolutely one of the worst crimes any human can commit and needs to be stopped.’
Gross, a friend of Fu’s family, was initially charged with 26 felony counts of sexual abuse stemming from years of molestation. But as part of an agreement with prosecutors, he was allowed to enter an “Alford plea” to a single count of attempted lewdness with a child under 14.
An ‘Alford plea’ is a type of guilty plea in which the defendant does not admit to committing a crime but agrees that the prosecution has enough evidence to secure a conviction.
‘It just doesn’t make sense…’
Under the plea deal, the now-convicted molester, against whom Fu had testified in court, was handed a suspended sentence of 60 to 180 months in state prison.
Only if Gross violates the conditions of his probation will he be sent to prison to serve out his sentence.
Gross is prohibited from using alcohol and marijuana; he must live at least 1,000 feet from schools and other facilities and venues used by children. He must also register as a sex offender with lifetime supervision.
Fu claimed Gross began sexually abusing him while baby-sitting when he was 8 years old, and the molestation continued until he was 15.
‘It just doesn’t make sense how someone can abuse a child multiple times and just walk away without any prison time,’ Fu said.
Fu only reported Gross to the police in 2019 after his wife showed him an article about sexual abuse, he said.
‘I really tried to put it away and move on and be strong, but as you get older, you start to realize what went wrong more, and I saw exactly where my problems were coming from,’ Fu added.
In 2021, Fu filed a civil lawsuit against Gross and his wife, accusing them of assault and battery, false imprisonment, intentional infliction of emotional distress and negligence.
Fu claimed Gross molested him at his home, in his pickup truck and on a camping trip. His wife allegedly ‘knew of her husband’s predilections towards minor children/boys’ but did nothing to protect Fu.
As he molested Fu, Gross is said to have warned him, ‘Do not tell anyone, including your mom’ — and said that he wanted them both to feel good, according to the complaint.
Offered Fu: ‘The justice system failed me in this case and didn’t sentence Richard Gross to any prison time even though the grand jury initially charged him with 26 felonies.
‘I know there are many children and adults that have experienced this and I want you to know that you have the power to come out with it, tells your loved ones, report your abusers to law enforcement, and find justice.’
A trial date has been set in the lawsuit for Feb. 5, 2024.
Meanwhile, Fu is due in court on Dec. 7 to answer the battery charge.
