A former senior government adviser, Craig Munnings, was secretly tried and found guilty of more than a dozen child sex offenses over seven years, with his identity suppressed due to a court error. Munnings, who worked for several New South Wales Labor ministers during a 12-year political career, was arrested in February 2019 on charges of sexually abusing two girls. He remained on bail and free in the community, continuing work as a consultant and lobbyist, while his case repeatedly stalled and jury proceedings were aborted.
Munnings's legal troubles began after a 2016 investigation into allegations of child sexual abuse. He was first charged in 2019, and a suppression order was mistakenly applied to his name in the court's digital case management system, intended only to protect the victims' identities. This error meant his name could not be published, even as his trial dates were set and reset multiple times between 2020 and 2026. Three juries were discharged for various reasons, and one trial was aborted in 2024 due to concerns over Munnings's opening address.
During this period, Munnings faced accusations of offenses committed in the mid-1980s and early 1990s against two girls, one of whom was 10 years old when the abuse began. He also assaulted a 15-year-old girl who came forward in 2020. Munnings, who represented himself in his final trial, pleaded not guilty to nine counts of sexual assault, four of aggravated indecent assault of a victim under 16, and one of carnal knowledge of a girl aged between 10 and 16. On August 7, a jury found him guilty of all 14 offenses.
Despite being arrested in 2019, Munnings was able to travel overseas, including a trip to China in April 2023 for a business conference. He had obtained a bail variation in February 2023 to renew his passport, which had expired. His company, Crakyl Pty Ltd, remains listed on the NSW Parliament's Register of Lobbyists, allowing him access to government officials.
Munnings, who was also an ordained Anglican priest, had previously worked as chief-of-staff for former NSW mining minister Ian Macdonald. He provided evidence at a 2012-2013 ICAC inquiry into Macdonald and his colleague Eddie Obeid, who were later jailed for corruption.
The suppression order was only lifted after Munnings's conviction. A spokesman for the Department of Communities and Justice acknowledged the error in placing the suppression order over the accused's name, stating it was mistakenly entered into the Justicelink system. The Australian Guangdong Chamber of Commerce, where Munnings had served as a government relations adviser, stated they were unaware of the criminal proceedings until contacted and have since removed him from their website.
Munnings is currently being held at Parklea Correctional Centre ahead of a sentencing hearing scheduled for October. He will be removed from holy orders once the Diocese of Newcastle receives a certificate of conviction.