Danny Alexander Steven, 74, pleads guilty to sexual exposure

An Ocean Grove man caught by a member of the public masturbating has pleaded guilty to sexual exposure.

Torquay Toilets. Picture: Google Maps

An elderly Ocean Grove man was caught by a member of the public pleasuring himself in an open bathroom stall.

Danny Alexander Steven, 74, pleaded guilty in the Geelong Magistrates Court on Monday to one charge of sexual exposure.

Police prosecutor Senior Constable Emma Morse said on July 12 a man walked into a bathroom in Torquay and could hear noises coming from the cubicle.

The court heard the man moved towards the open door of the cubicle and observed Steven seated on the toilet with his pants down.

“The accused had his genitals exposed and was in the process of masturbating,” Constable Morse said.

The man who witnessed the incident called the police.

When police arrived, the man still had his pants down and was still masturbating, the court heard.

Stevens immediately closed the cubicle, and was told by police to get out of the toilet blocks.

“He was spoken to in relation to his behaviour. He was in possession of a bottle of oil and a liquid sexual enhancer,” Constable Morse said.

When he was interviewed by police, he told officers: “I don’t know why I do it”.

The court heard Stevens had previously been placed on a corrections order for similar offending in April 2022.

Magistrate John Bentley said Steven needed to stay away from toilet blocks.

“As far as you’re concerned, they are places of danger”.

“Next time you will end up in jail, so stay away from them”.

“There’s no doubt in my mind, you’re not going there to relieve yourself. You’re targeting these places because you know the places where you can commit these sorts of offences,” he said.

Steven was placed back on a community corrections order and was not placed on the sex offenders registry.

Originally published as Danny Alexander Steven, 74, pleads guilty to sexual exposure