The former La Jolla realtor who pleaded guilty to child pornography charges and molesting two girls under the age of 14 faced one of his victims in court Friday.
The teenager, identified only as Jane Doe 2, said she was nervous to come to court but said she owed it to herself and other victims to be strong and speak out about the man who molested her, 62-year-old Donald Hickey.
Reading from a written statement she referenced the “shock, anger and disgust” she felt after learning Hickey possessed thousands of images and videos of child pornography, including videos of himself molesting her and another girl.
“It’s as if you tortured each child,” she said.
The teen said she felt conflicted because she has sympathy for Hickey’s sickness but is relieved he is going to prison where he can’t hurt another child.
“Today officially begins the end of our nightmare,” said the father of Jane Doe 1, adding that Hickey’s nightmare of prison is about to begin.
The father called Hickey a “despicable human being” and a “pathetic excuse for manhood” for stealing a piece of his daughter’s childhood. He wished aloud that Hickey would suffer the same sleepless nights and anxiety as the girls he molested did and said a lot of bad things happen in prison.
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“Buckle up, dude,” he said, “It’s gonna be an e-ticket ride.”
San Diego Superior Court Judge Yvonne Campos ordered news outlets not to show Hickey’s face after his attorney expressed concerns for his physical safety in prison. Video and images used in this story are from Hickey's arraignment last year.
Hickey was arrested after The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children tracked child pornography to his computer. When San Diego police searched his devices they discovered a vast quantity of child pornography, according to Deputy District Attorney Steven Marquardt, who said Hickey preyed on children and then memorialized his abuse of them.
San Diego Police Department detectives and investigators from the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office were able to locate two of the girls on the videos.
“When the detective and district attorney came to my door to disclose that they had found evidence of child pornography and showed me pictures that were doctored and they were of my child, I screamed and cried in absolute agony and devastation,” said the mother of Jane Doe 1.
The girl’s older sister stared at Hickey, shaking her head, before lashing out.
“You put two young girls through something they should never have had to experience… So many tears, a disgusted, violating feeling, trust issues, being scared, traumatized… All because of you,” she said.
Hickey’s plea deal stipulates a 25-year-to-life sentence, which the judge said she intends to follow, but because a probation interview had not yet been completed, the actual sentencing will take place in a few weeks. Normally, sentences are issued at the same time as victim impact statements.
