An 80-year-old convicted pedophile was punched unconscious by his alleged victim in a Nevada courtroom while being sentenced for child sex crimes, according to witnesses.
Richard Gross, 80, was being sentenced in a Clark County district courtroom on Oct. 2. Gross was initially charged with 26 felony counts in connection with purported sexual abuse of a child. Gross pleaded guilty through an Alford plea to one felony count of attempted lewdness with a child under the age of 14.
Judge Tierra Jones sentenced Gross to a suspended sentence of 60-80 months — but he will not serve any prison time unless he violates his probation.
Gross was ordered by the judge to register on the sex offender registry along with lifetime supervision. The Division of Parole and Probation will have unlimited access to all of his electronic devices.
KLAS-TV reported, "As part of his suspended sentence, Gross must abide by certain terms: He is prohibited from using alcohol and marijuana, and he must live at least 1,000 feet from public or private schools, school bus stops, daycare facilities, video arcades, parks, playgrounds, movie theaters, or athletic fields or facilities used for youth sports, according to court records."
The accuser — now a 29-year-old man — was in the courtroom to provide a victim impact statement.
As Gross began to leave the courtroom with his wife and attorney, the victim stood up and punched Gross in the face. The blow broke his eyeglasses and knocked Gross to the ground, according to the arrest report.
The convicted pedophile lost consciousness after being punched, and he was taken to a local hospital.
The child sex abuse accuser was arrested for misdemeanor battery.
The 29-year-old alleged victim said in a statement through his lawyer, "While it was on some level cathartic, my actions in court were not appropriate. 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," he continued.
The victim alleged to have lived in a "mental prison for many years because of Richard Gross’s actions, and for him to receive no prison time is disheartening to me."
The accuser filed a lawsuit against Gross and his wife in 2021. The accuser is suing for assault and battery, false imprisonment, intentional infliction of emotional distress and negligence, and negligent supervision.
In the complaint, the accuser claimed that Gross sexually abused him from age eight to 15. He asserted that Gross sexually abused him at his home, in his pickup truck, and while on a camping trip while he was babysitting him.
Alleged victim punches convicted sex offender in Las Vegas courtroom
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