HARDINSBURG — A Hardinsburg man will spend the next four decades behind bars following his sentencing Wednesday in a pair of child molestation cases stemming from separate law enforcement investigations.
Michael Allen Richardson, 31, received a 40-year prison sentence on each child molestation charge in a Washington County court. The judge ordered the terms to run concurrently, meaning Richardson will serve 40 years.
The convictions follow two independent probes conducted by the Indiana State Police in 2024.
Richardson’s initial arrest occurred in May 2024 after state police launched an investigation into allegations of illegal sexual contact with a youth. That probe began on May 10, when a Harrison County school employee contacted the Indiana Department of Child Services (DCS) to report suspected child sexual abuse involving a student. Working alongside DCS, state police detectives conducted a sexual assault forensic examination and a forensic interview at a local child advocacy center before serving a search warrant at Richardson’s Hardinsburg home.
Just two months later, in July 2024, state police arrested Richardson a second time after a separate, month-long DCS-referred investigation into additional allegations of illegal sexual contact. Detectives executed search warrants for digital devices, ultimately leading to additional counts.
Across both cases, prosecutors charged Richardson with multiple offenses, including child molestation, child exploitation, incest, and contributing to the delinquency of a minor.
As part of a negotiated change-of-plea agreement, Richardson pleaded guilty to the principal child molestation charges, and the remaining counts were dismissed.
