San Diego

Realtor to Stand Trial on Sex Assault and Child Porn Charges

A local realtor accused of sexually assaulting two minors, one of them 11 years old or younger, and persuading them to engage in pornography was ordered to stand trial.

Donald Hickey hid from cameras in a courtroom Tuesday as he learned he would stand trial on 14 felony charges stemming from suspected crimes between 2009 and 2012.

β€œWe know for a fact that he victimized two kids in a very heinous fashion,” Deputy District Attorney Stephen Marquardt said. β€œAnd the fact that he's off the street makes the entire community safer."

A cyber tip between 2016 and 2017 alerted authorities that he was in possession of child pornography.

The investigation into the lewd acts centered around a Clairemont home where Hickey's real estate license is registered.

Investigators say they found more than a thousand pictures and videos of child pornography on three different devices -- a phone, computer and hard drive. They said they could even see or hear him some of the content.

β€œOnce that pornography was evaluated by law enforcement they realized the defendant not only possessed child porn he'd downloaded from the internet, but also child porn he'd actually created. The victims had to be located and identified,” Marquardt explained.

Hickey was arrested back in February and remains behind bars on $1 million bail. He faces nine years in prison plus another 90 to life if convicted on all charges.

His attorney denied all of the charges against him.

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