A former New South Wales cricket coach has been sentenced to three years in prison for grooming several teenage boys.
Christopher Cranny thanked Magistrate Claire Girotto and nodded to his father in the public gallery before police escorted him out of Wollongong Local Court today.
The 31-year-old pleaded guilty to 12 charges, including grooming a child for unlawful sexual activity and intentionally performing a sexual act with a child.
Magistrate Girotto said the pattern of offending was the same against each of the boys and occurred between 2015 and 2017 and again in 2019.
"A message must be sent to those who might sexually abuse children," Magistrate Girotto said.
To "denounce the conduct" and "protect the community" she handed Cranny a three-year prison sentence with a non-parole period of 14 months.
'Pay the price'
Cranny's crimes involved communicating with his victims through social media, talking to them about sex and, at times, masturbating in front of them.
One of the boys' fathers reported the conduct to police after reading a text message on his son's phone.
In delivering her sentence Magistrate Girotto said she had taken into consideration that Cranny had "deep remorse" for what he had done and that he had offered to explore the option of chemical castration to reduce his "urges" towards young boys.
She explained that Cranny was from a "stable and loving environment", but as a child had been "subjected to some bullying" and was "reclusive".
He then developed an attraction to young boys, she said.
Outside the courthouse Cranny's father said his son was relieved to have the matter finalised.
"He realised what he's done and he's going to pay the price," he said.
"What my son has done, he's done.
