A former Illawarra cricket coach and primary school teacher has been jailed for grooming three teenage boys.
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Christopher Cranny, 31, faced Wollongong Local Court on Monday morning where he was sentenced for 12 child sex-related charges.
Cranny pleaded guilty to multiple counts each of grooming a child for unlawful sexual activity and intentionally doing a sexual act with a child in September.
Magistrate Claire Girotto sentenced Cranny to three years in jail with a non parole period of 14 months from Monday.
She said a clear message must be sent to those who might sexually abuse children so they know their actions will not be tolerated and they will receive punishment.
Magistrate Girotto took into account Cranny's guilty pleas, that he had taken steps towards his rehabilitation including appointments for chemical castration and he has never been in custody.
She said she was satisfied Cranny had taken "full remorse", was "very sorry for what he has done to the victims" and "feels great shame".
"He was previously a person of good character, but a significant degree of that good character is what allowed him to be in position of trust and offend in this way," Magistrate Girotto said.
Magistrate Girotto said Cranny had developed paedophilia and an attraction to young boys at the age of 19, after growing up in a stable family home.
Cranny was arrested at his home in January following a police investigation and originally faced eight charges relating to a single victim before two more boys came forward prompting further charges to be laid.
When interviewed by detectives, Cranny confessed to having a sexual curiosity towards adolescent boys that included wanting to see them naked.
He labelled the "urges" a disorder and claimed he'd been fighting an attraction to boys for years, however admitted he'd rationalised his behaviour towards the three victims as "being okay" because he "wasn't physically touching them".
A set of facts tendered to the court said Cranny began sexually grooming two young teens between 2015 and 2017.
He communicated with both boys through social media and text messages, often talking to them about sex, including giving them advice about what to do with their own girlfriends and detailing vivid accounts of his own sexual experiences with women.
The court documents reveal one of the teen's fathers became suspicious of Cranny's behaviour around his son and began keeping a closer eye on what was occurring, only to discover text messages Cranny had sent his son detailing one of his alleged sexual conquests.
The father read the text messages and subsequently stopped contact between the pair.
Meanwhile, Cranny moved his attentions on to a third teen in 2019, using similar grooming tactics to cultivate the relationship.
He began watching pornography in front of the teen, then moved onto masturbating in front of him and at one stage invited the boy to masturbate alongside him.
The court heard Cranny's behaviour changed when the teen got a girlfriend and he became jealous, possessive and emotionally manipulative, often telling the teen via social media "you mean the world to me" and "I can't live without you".
The victim eventually disclosed what had been occurring to his family and a report was made to police, resulting in Cranny's arrest.
Outside court, Mr Cranny's defence lawyer Aaron Kernaghan said his client recognised "he has to do the punishment".
"He has already indicated to the community his sorrow and he is now looking to rehabilitate himself while in custody," Mr Kernaghan said.
"This case is an excellent example of a time when victims have been able to be heard and come forward.
"A very brave young man came forward in court and spoke up for the way in which this offence impacted him.
"Now Mr Cranny is doing the time he deserves for that."
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