Former tennis coach jailed for six and a half years for child sex offences in the U.K. also coached in Castlebar

A former tennis coach who worked in a tennis club in County Mayo has been jailed for six and a half years for multiple child sex offences in the U.K.

He coached in Mayo, Sligo, Leitrim and Donegal in recent years.

Sean Francis McGranaghan (33), with an address of Mill Apartments,Dromahair, Co. Leitrim, has been found guilty by a jury of two counts of attempting sexual communication with a child and two counts of attempting to incite a child to engage in sexual activity.

Mr. McGranaghan, who had pleaded not guilty, was sentenced at Bristol Crown Court following an investigation by the South West Regional Organised Crime Unit in the U.K. last month.

He first came to the attention of SWROCU after making contact online with whom he thought was a child, but was a specialist covert officer in January 2023. RTÉ News has confirmed that he was residing in Ireland at the time.

Mr. McGranaghan came to the attention of covert officers in the Metropolitan Police area later last year, again after communicating online with whom he believed was a real child.

He was arrested at Gatwick Airport in May of last year by SWROCU officers.

Tennis Ireland CEO Kevin Quinn told RTÉ’s Morning Ireland that Mr. McGranaghan coached tennis in Castlebar, and also in clubs based in Sligo, Butthall in Donegal and Manorhamilton in Leitrim.

Following sentencing, McGranaghan was given an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order and will be on the Sexual Offenders Register for life.