Illawarra cricket coach Chris Cranny charged over alleged grooming of two more teen boys
An Illawarra primary school teacher who also coaches local cricket has been charged over the alleged grooming of two more boys, after an ongoing investigation.
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An Illawarra primary school teacher who doubles as a cricket coach has been slapped with several new charges following an investigation into the alleged grooming of teenage boys.
Chris Cranny, 31, was arrested from his Gwynneville home on January 17 by the Child Abuse and Sex Crimes Squad, after he allegedly groomed a teenage boy between March and October last year.
The 31-year-old was charged 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.
Police allege Cranny exposed the teen boy to indecent material and carried out sexual acts in him presence in the Illawarra area between March and October 2019.
Detectives from the Child Abuse and Sex Crimes Squad started investigating him in December 2019, after receiving information about his alleged behaviour.
Cranny was hit with an additional six charges this month, taking the total number of charges to 14, after a further two boys came forward to police.
The charges include two counts of groom child under 14 years for unlawful sexual activity, two counts of groom child between 14 and 16 years for unlawful sexual activity and two counts of aggravated sexual act child between 10 and 16.
Police will allege in court that Cranny groomed the boys, aged between 12 and 15, in the Illawarra area between 2015 and 2016.
It will be further alleged he carried out sexual acts in the presence of one of the boys.
Cranny was granted strict conditional bail in January, with the conditions 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.
His case was briefly mentioned at Wollongong Local Court on Wednesday before it was adjourned to a date next month, however Cranny did not appear before the court.
In speaking about Cranny’s arrest in January, NSW Police Detective Acting Superintendent Chris Goddard said children should be able to report these allegations 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.”