‘Stole my childhood.’ Victim addresses Manatee man in child sex abuse sentencing
A Bradenton Beach man accused of sexually abusing a child over several years will spend the next three decades in prison.
A Manatee County judge sentenced 41-year-old Richard Kimpton to 30 years in prison after he entered a negotiated plea, avoiding a jury trial that was scheduled to begin Monday. Court records show Kimpton pleaded no contest to six felonies, including lewd or lascivious molestation and several sexual battery-related charges.
Circuit Judge Frederick Mercurio imposed the sentence Tuesday, credited Kimpton with time served, designated him a sexual predator under Florida law and ordered lifetime sex offender probation after his release.
Tuesday’s sentencing hearing centered on the victim’s impact statement, in which she described years of abuse and the long-term toll it took on her life.
“I was young. I was still scared of the dark and the monsters under my bed,” she said. “Didn’t take long for me to realize that he was the true monster in my life.”
She said the abuse “violated my innocence and betrayed my trust,” adding that it “stole my childhood.”
Bradenton Beach man ‘stole my childhood,’ victim says
According to the arrest report, the abuse began when the victim was in elementary school, at about 8 years old, and continued for several years into her early teens. The victim told investigators she was raped and sexually abused multiple times between roughly first and eighth grade, including at a former home on Anna Maria Island and later at another house.
Investigators said the case was corroborated by voicemail messages and audio recordings recovered during the investigation that captured Kimpton sexually assaulting the victim. Detectives said the recordings were created in 2017 and 2018, when the victim was 12 and 13 years old.
During sentencing, the victim told the court Kimpton took steps to conceal the abuse, including coaching her on what to say if anyone became suspicious.
“He knew what he was doing was wrong and did it anyway,” she said.
After the victim spoke, Kimpton addressed the court and apologized, saying he would “spend the rest of my life paying for” what he had done.
In closing, the victim said she would not forgive Kimpton. She told the judge the abuse led to years of fear, pregnancy scares and struggles with self-harm and suicidal thoughts.
Then the victim looked in Kimpton’s direction and addressed him directly.
“You will never touch me again,” she said. “I will grow up and live in happiness and peace despite what you’ve done to me.”
As part of the sentence, the judge barred Kimpton from contacting the victim.
