lllawarra school teacher Chris Cranny charged over alleged grooming of teenage boy
A man has been arrested from a home near Wollongong this morning, after the alleged grooming of a teenage boy.
Illawarra Star
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An Illawarra primary school teacher is facing serious criminal charges, after police from the state’s child abuse squad launched an investigation into the alleged grooming of a teenage boy.
Chris Cranny, 31, was arrested from his Gwynneville home on Friday morning by the Child Abuse and Sex Crimes Squad, after he allegedly groomed the teen boy between March and October last year.
The 31-year-old was slapped with eight child sex offences, including groom child for unlawful sexual activity, intentional incite child between 10 and 16 years do sexual act to them, and aggravated intentionally do sexual act with child between 10 and 16 years.
In court on Friday, police alleged Cranny exposed himself to the teen and showed him indecent material. It was also alleged he carried out sexual acts in the boy’s presence.
Detectives from the Child Abuse and Sex Crimes Squad started investigating him in December 2019, after receiving information about his alleged behaviour.
Appearing before Magistrate Brett Thomas at Wollongong Local Court on January 17, Cranny’s defence lawyer told the court her client knew what he had allegedly done was wrong and that he felt “ashamed, remorseful and acknowledged he needed help”.
Cranny’s defence lawyer told the court her client suffered from anxiety and depression, and would agree to cease all employment that related to children if granted release.
Magistrate Thomas said that while the allegations were serious, he would grant strict conditional bail, ordering he surrender his passport, report to police three times per week, not be involved in any child-related employment and not to be in contact with any child under 18.
He was also banned from contacting the boy, while his partner had to put up a $2000 bail surety.
In speaking about Cranny’s arrest, NSW Police Detective Acting Superintendent Chris Goddard said children should be able to report these crimes to police.
“Kids should be able to come forward and report these things to police, that they believe to be inappropriate, or behaviour that just doesn’t feel right,” he said.
“These matters should be acted on and investigated quickly and thoroughly to keep the most vulnerable members of our community safe.”
Detective Acting Superintendent Goddard asked further potential alleged victims to come forward to police.
“If people think they are a victim of a crime, we encourage them to come forward.”
Cranny will return to court next month.
