Steven John Whiteoak pleaded guilty to indecent dealing

A former professional cricket player made sexual remarks towards a random boy before kissing him at a resort swimming pool.

Steven John Whiteoak leaves Hervey Bay Magistrates Court on September 21, 2023.

An intoxicated man who kissed a young boy who was at a resort swimming pool with his family has appeared in court.

Steven John Whiteoak, 47, pleaded guilty to one count of indecent dealing when he faced the Hervey Bay District Court on Wednesday.

The court was told the incident happened when the child, 10, was at a swimming pool at a Urangan resort with his mother.

Whiteoak approached the child and said “can I flirt with your mum? Would you allow me to have sex with your mum?”

He then kissed the boy on the lips, the court heard, which lasted for “some duration” and included Whiteoak inserting his tongue into the child’s mouth, the court was told.

The child tried to pull away, but Whiteoak pulled him back towards him and continued kissing and said words to the effect of “this is how to kiss your girlfriend”.

The boy’s mother had been playing with another child and turned to see Whiteoak kissing her son on the mouth.

Whiteoak said “go ask your mum if I can have sex with her”.

The child walked over to his mother and Whiteoak said “now you’ve had your first kiss, sort of”.

The court heard the child had then left with his mother and sibling and his mum had later called the police.

Police attended Whiteoak’s address the following day when he was arrested, but he was too intoxicated to be interviewed.

Steven John Whiteoak pleaded guilty to one count of indecent dealing.

Upon being charged and released from custody at the Hervey Bay Police Station, he then returned to a unit at the resort despite it being a condition of his bail not to do so.

The court heard only two hours after having it fitted, he damaged the ankle tracker, subsequently removing it.

The offending had been “quite confronting” for the child and his mother, the court heard.

The court heard Whiteoak had the support of his family, with a letter from his brother saying the offending was “totally out of character”.

His mother was in court supporting him.

Whiteoak had been a talented cricketer, the court heard, and had worked in hospitality.

He’d had some issues with alcohol since the end of his professional cricket career, the court was told, and had previously been in a rehab facility.

While he had been in custody before being sentenced he had been physically abused, the court was told.

Judge Michael Burnett said the circumstances of the offending was “quite bizarre”, including the questions Whiteoak told the child to ask his mother.

“Alcohol may explain why it is you asked those questions,” he said.

Whiteoak had now been “dry” for about four months since going into custody, Judge Burnett said and he urged him to continue in his rehabilitation upon his release from custody.

Whiteoak was sentenced to 12 months on probation.

No conviction was recorded.

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Originally published as Steven John Whiteoak pleaded guilty to indecent dealing