‘Running wild’: Shock child sex offender allegations denied by North Queensland boxing community

An Australian boxing community is in turmoil after it was alleged a convicted child sex offender and another violent rapist had been allowed to train alongside and even coach children. Read the wild allegations and see the response.

Hanging boxing gloves. Very low key and heavy shadows

North Queensland’s boxing community is in turmoil after it was alleged a convicted child sex offender and another violent rapist had been allowed to train alongside and even coach children.

The Australian Amateur Boxing League Inc (AABLI) sensationally suspended the entire committee of Sunstate Amateur Boxing League Inc (SABLI) on Monday following the serious allegations of misconduct.

It is alleged that SABLI – which is a breakaway organisation that promotes and regulates amateur boxing in Queensland – allowed a convicted child sex offender to train alongside junior boxers and take part in the state titles in Townsville, flouting blue card regulations.

However suspended SABLI president Greg ‘Scooter’ Hooper denied any wrongdoing, insisting the person in question was never allowed to train with children.

It has also been alleged that a violent sexual offender had been coaching and judging children at events around North Queensland while a culture of silencing critics was allowed to fester.

In an 11th hour decision on Monday night, AABLI made the shock call to suspend the entire Sunstate committee, effective immediately, before installing an interim committee led by president Eric Norman.

THE ALLEGATIONS

Rodney Little, who owns Hitpitgym in Cairns, sparked a national investigation when he recently brought allegations to light on social media.

Little’s boxing gym fell under the Sunstate banner for almost a decade until he was convicted of possession of a dangerous drug in 2018 and sentenced to three years in jail.

The Far North coach claimed his history was being used to discredit his claims.

“I’ve got a history also, I’ve done a little bit of jail time for possession of drugs, and people have always smashed me on Facebook about the being a drug dealer and all sorts of stuff,” Little said.

Little said he was shocked to see one of his former fighters, Roland Patrick Gallen, training with children last year.

In 2022 Gallen was sentenced to two years’ probation for two counts of procuring a young person for carnal knowledge, before he was jailed two months later for similar offending.

In November 2023 Gallen was found guilty of sex offences against three minors – one of whom was 14 at the time of offending – and was handed down a head sentence of two years, with three years’ probation, with the sentence suspended after 390 days, and that time declared as time served.

“Getting out of jail he’s gone straight back to (Greg) ‘Scooter’ Hooper. Scooter has trained him for a couple more fights, and I’m sitting back and thinking ‘Jesus, this is crazy’,” Little said.

“I talked to a few people and let them know, and nothing was done. Nothing was said.

“I thought, someone’s got to say something, there’s a child sex offender running wild.”

Roland Patrick Gallen, 31, (right) walks from court on probation and a suspended sentence with his lawyer Bebe Mellick (left) after pleading guilty to supplying cannabis to a 16-year-old girl in exchange for sex. Picture: Supplied

There is no suggestion of any inappropriate behaviour from Gallen since his release.

However Little said it was unacceptable that Gallen was included in a Queensland representative team in 2024 to go on an interstate trip with children in the squad.

Roland did not attend the Australian titles despite his selection.

“It’s the whole culture. The culture has just developed with no regulations, no one oversees them so it’s turned very amateurish,” Little said.

“I know it’s amateur boxing but it’s been allowed to get down to this culture where there’s no more blue cards and you can have whoever you want in the ring, judging, reffing, around the kids.

“You’ve got a sex offender allowed to be in dressing rooms, taken away on trips.

“He fought for the Queensland title, Roland Gallen. He didn’t win but then they named him in the Queensland team to take him down to Victoria last year in 2024 as part of the Queensland team.

“When there’s youths and kids in the team, they’re selecting a two-time convicted child sex offender that gave kids drugs – marijuana – for sex.”

A spokesman for the Queensland Department of Justice could not confirm any details of the investigation when contacted for comment.

“Blue Card Services is subject to strict confidentiality provisions under its legislation and cannot provide information about individuals or investigations,” the spokesman said.

“Blue Card Services takes all reports of risks of harm to children very seriously and takes action accordingly. Where appropriate, matters are referred to the QPS for investigation and possible prosecution.”

THE RESPONSE

After the SABLI committee was suspended on Monday, AABLI vice-president Norman was put in as interim Sunstate president to oversee operations.

An interim committee has since been appointed and a meeting was called for members to meet and discuss the issues in Cardwell on Saturday, April 12.

Happy with their effort. Trainer Eric Norman with Babinda boxer Shane Thomas pictured in August 2013. Picture: John Flynn

Norman confirmed on Friday that the reason the SABLI committee was suspended related to the allegations made by Little.

“There were posts put up from someone from the Cairns area saying there was undesirable people within the organisation,” Norman said.

“That spread all over Australia-wide and the Australian Amateur Boxing League had to act on that information.

“The Blue Card people were given the same information and they’re investigating as well.”

Suspended SABLI president Greg ‘Scooter’ Hooper denied any wrongdoing, insisting Gallen was never allowed to train with children.

“That’s an outright lie. Roland Gallen trained with us and left years ago when he moved back to Cairns,” Hooper said.

“He did come down for the state titles, where he trained with my son and my son only. There was no one else in the gymnasium, no children anywhere, and I wasn’t at any time aware of any vast wrongdoings by Roland, or he wouldn’t have been there, full stop.

“The state titles was here in Townsville, where I was actually present the whole time. He wasn’t allowed near any of our dressing rooms. That’s all I can say.”

Greg Hooper (second from left) puts everything he has into boxing. Pictured in 2020.

Hooper also said he was seeking legal advice on the suspension of the SABLI committee.

“I’m not going to say anything other than disputing the legality of the AABLI being able to suspend us because we’re our own incorporation, but I’m seeking legal action on that matter, so we’ll leave it in the hands of the solicitors,” Hooper said.

“We’ve done nothing wrong. I know lots of things, and I’ve done it a million times myself as a manager – if you’ve got an investigation you can suspend people.

“But you don’t vote a new crew in, which is what they’re looking at doing next week in Cardwell. To me that’s a witch hunt more than anything else.

“All I can do is reinforce again that the current SABLI committee, the new people they’ve got, and my president, VP and myself, have nothing but the utmost concern and our first, second and third preferences are for the safety of children.”

CLAIMS OF ‘INTIMIDATION’ TO SILENCE CRITICS

Little claims he felt intimidated by Hooper when he tried to bring the issue to the organisation’s attention.

“I thought they’d say, ‘you’re right and we need to take a look at this’, but all that was done was I was threatened to be bashed on my own shows,” Little said.

“All I’m trying to do is protect children. This is nothing about attacking anybody, it’s about how has this been allowed to go on?

“How are we letting these people around our children?”

However Hooper denied he had tried to intimidate anyone.

“In no way, shape or form would I ever waste my time. For a start I don’t threaten people. It’s not me, and I never have,” Hooper said.

“I have my rules, regulations, and they are to maintain my individuality above grubs like that.”

VIOLENT OFFENDER TRAINING KIDS

It was also revealed that Ivan Bernard Utley, who was sentenced to 10 years in jail in 2016 for the violent rape of a woman in Townsville, had been training children at the Babinda Boxing Club in 2024 before he was removed from the position.

There is no allegation that the two convicted people named in this story engaged in any illegal conduct since being released.

“I grew up in Townsville, born and bred, so I know a lot of these blokes in the corners who served long jail sentences are in kids’ corners and dressing rooms. It was frequently and ultimately blatantly done,” Little said.

“At the golden gloves, Ivan Utley – the convicted rapist from Babinda – was judging at the fights and he’d only just got out of jail less than 12 months earlier. He was judging kids’ fights in the corners and also teaching kids at the Babinda Boxing Club under Eric Norman.”

Ivan Bernard Utley, pictured in 2014, pleaded guilty to rape, two counts of assault occasioning bodily harm while armed, burglary and assault.

Norman defended his decision to provide Utley a second chance, but said he had not been in the Babinda gym for more than half a year.

“He hasn’t been in our gym for probably seven months, and I’ve also put things in place to try and clarify what he may be able to do and what he can’t do,” Norman said.

“We have got some politicians on board, and they’re trying to find out so someone can actually tell me. Because I don’t know how to put this, but I think people – if they’ve served their time and they’ve changed their way of life – they should be given an opportunity to start a new type of life, and they need a bit of guidance.

“I don’t make the rules, and we intend to follow the rules to the letter, but some people change for the good and some people don’t.

“Boxing is a great leveller. It doesn’t matter whether you’re from a rich family or a poor family, all kids are equal when they get in that ring.

“I have never denied the fact that I had Ivan in the gym for a short time. I made all the parents aware in our gym that he had criminal history, and they got to meet him, and they were quite happy with him being there.

“But I’ve got to follow the law the same as everyone else. So as soon as I found that out, he hasn’t been back in there.”

Little was also happy for boxing to provide a second chance for ex-convicts, but insisted the protection of children had to come first.

“It’s not just that they shouldn’t be around children, it’s how they’ve been allowed to be around children,” Little said.

“It’s not their fault they’re there, they’ve just turned up (to a gym). That’s not the issue – it’s the blokes that have said yes, come in, and there’s the kids.”

Do you know any more information about this story? Contact Patrick Woods on [e-mail].

Originally published as ‘Running wild’: Shock child sex offender allegations denied by North Queensland boxing community