Depraved predator targeted siblings right under parents’ noses

A depraved predator who targeted two children, at times right under the noses of their parents, had carried out other crimes against kids.

The victim of a depraved child predator has revealed the extent of her trauma after the man “frequently” targeted her and her sibling with his vile acts.

Families and supporters of the now adult victims packed the Brisbane District Court on Monday as David John Healy learned his fate for the heinous abuse of two children, at times right under the noses of their parents.

The victims held back tears as the court was told how Healy, 44, manipulated their families to get closer to the children, before offering “special piggybacks” as a cover to abuse them.

David John Healy (pictured) was jailed on eight child abuse counts at the District Court on Monday.

Healy sat quietly in the dock and kept his head down as the victims read their heartbreaking statements.

In February, he had pleaded guilty to seven counts of indecent treatment of children and one count of maintaining a relationship with a child.

The court was told Healy frequently visited the young girl and boy between 2010 and 2012.

The girl was aged between 8-9 and the boy was between 8-11 during the timeline of abuse.

Crown prosecutor Michael Gawrych said he played with them and gave them gifts, building a relationship with them before the abuse.

Mr Gawrych said Healy would give the pair “piggybacks” or “tickle” them. In doing so, he would touch their genitalia multiple times.

“He frequently and habitually touched and penetrated (the girl’s) vagina during those visits,” Mr Gawrych said.

“He manipulated her and groomed her in a sense to tell her that it was their special secret.”

The court was told Healy frequently touched the girl and boy when he visited, some of them occurring in the backyard while the parents were home.

Some of the brazen assaults at times occurred in the backyards of the victims’ families while the parents were watching television.

In her victim impact statement, the woman said Healy made her life “a living hell” by manipulating her as a child.

She said she had to give up on her dream job because of the trauma and had struggled in her final years at school.

In desperation, she turned to binge eating and retail therapy as a method to cope while dealing with depression, anxiety and panic attacks.

“(At times) I would scratch my arms to the point they felt like burns,” she told the court

“The triggers … caused me to avoid being at home as much as I could.”

Healy also preyed on the young boy by sneaking into his room and attempting to perform oral sex.

He was stopped after the boy woke up.

At other times he “tickled” the boy’s penis and genitalia, sometimes going under his shorts.

The abuse only came to light after the woman reported his abuse to authorities in 2018.

“For a while I thought you (Healy) ruined my life, I thought you broke me,” the woman read from her statement.

“The awful things you did to me don’t define who I am.”

The court was told Healy had other convictions for similar instances of child abuse.

Defence barrister Laura Reece said Healy, a cabinet maker who also undertook kitchen renovations, had completed a sexual offender’s maintenance program and was seeking help through counselling.

Judge Paul Smith noted a 2017 report detailed Healy was still masturbating to children.

He ultimately imposed a head sentence of 4.5 years jail.

With time already served, Healy will be eligible for parole in September next year.