A senior Newcastle lifesaver and former detective has admitted groping a local surgeon at a community event in the NSW Hunter Valley.

Scott Cook, who has been honoured in the past for his long service to Newcastle Surf Life Saving Club, pleaded guilty on Tuesday to sexually touching the doctor last year.

The 57-year-old, who is widely known as ‘Cookie’, has been barred from going near the surf club since November but his actions have until now avoided public scrutiny.

It is suggested Cook had put himself forward to become the club’s complaints officer about the time the doctor he indecently assaulted first reported him to police. 

Cook is a onetime club treasurer and accredited assessor with responsibility for evaluating candidates during examinations for lifesaving awards such as the Bronze Medallion.

Among his accolades during a long stint of volunteering, he was named his club’s Lifesaver of the Year in 2020 and Assessor of the Year in 2021.

Cook, who became a private investigator after leaving the police force, went to a lifesaving function in Newcastle last year.

Also in attendance was a surgeon who had occasionally encountered Cook through the Hunter region’s large surf lifesaving community.

Scott Cook, a senior Newcastle lifesaver and former detective, has admitted groping a local surgeon at a community event in the NSW Hunter Valley. Cook is pictured after being named Newcastle Surf Life Saving Club’s Lifesaver of the Year in 2020 

Cook has been honoured in the past for his long service to Newcastle Surf Life Saving Club (above). The 57-year-old pleaded guilty on Tuesday to sexually touching the doctor last year

During the evening, while a group of attendees gathered to have their picture taken, the surgeon felt someone grab the lower part of her right buttock and squeeze firmly.

In a statement tendered in court, she said fingers touched her perineal region and ‘the hand squeezed firmly for about two to three seconds, only letting go when I turned’.

When she turned, the doctor saw the hand that groped her belonged to Cook.

A man who had been walking behind Cook addressed him and said words to the effect of, ‘Did you just do that?’ according to the surgeon’s statement.

‘As a result of what happened, I was instantly in shock and felt completely uncomfortable, and tried to remove myself from the photo,’ the surgeon later told police.

‘Scott then encouraged me to be in it, [and] not wanting to cause a scene or be around him, I reluctantly went and had the photo, making sure I stood nowhere near Scott by walking to the opposite side of where he was standing.’ 

The surgeon said that, as she walked back to her own table, she felt ‘disgusted’ and ‘enraged’ about what had just occurred.

‘I had not spoken to Scott Cook at any time during the night and he had no right to touch me, let alone touch me the way he did,’ she said in her statement. 

Cook (above) is a one-time club treasurer and accredited assessor with responsibility for evaluating candidates during examinations for lifesaving awards such as the Bronze Medallion. (Note: This is not the group photo during which the groping took place)

‘At no time did I give permission in any way for Scott Cook to touch me in that way. What happened was unsolicited, unexpected and unconsented and it left me feeling violated and disgusted.’

The doctor said in the days and weeks that followed she continued to feel angry.

About a month after the assault, the doctor became aware Cook had nominated himself for a position as Newcastle Surf Life Saving Club’s complaints officer.

That prompted her to make a formal complaint to the club and to report the assault to NSW Police.

‘I felt it was my duty to act on what had occurred and report the incident,’ she said in her statement. 

Cook has been on bail since November, with conditions including that he not attend or approach the doctor’s home, workplace, or the Newcastle Surf Life Saving Club.

Despite pleading guilty to sexually touching another person without consent, Cook challenged parts of the police version of events at a contested facts hearing.

The Daily Mail called Cook’s home on Thursday night and spoke to a man who identified himself as ‘Scott’ but declined to discuss what had happened in court on Tuesday.

‘We won’t be having that conversation,’ he said. ‘Please don’t ever call here again.’ 

Cook had been his club’s nomination for Lifesaver of the Year at the Hunter Surf Life Saving Awards of Excellence in 2020.

‘Cookie is the exceptional lifesaving all-rounder that every Club needs,’ read an announcement of that honour on Facebook.

Newcastle Surf Life Saving Club president Mike Collins said Cook’s membership had been suspended after the doctor’s complaint was received. The club is pictured

‘We’re lucky enough that he also helps train our next gen of Bronze Medallion recruits (plus recently taking on the mantle of our Director of Finance). 

‘Combining all this with his own business and family life makes Cookie a busy man and we’re lucky to have him! Good luck Cookie!’ 

Cook was nominated as Newcastle’s Assessor of the Year at the same regional awards the next year.

Newcastle Surf Life Saving Club president Mike Collins told the Daily Mail that Cook’s membership had been suspended after the doctor’s complaint was received. 

‘All of that was handled by Surf Life Saving Australia,’ he said. ‘We’ll always work to protect our members and we take any complaint very seriously.’

Mr Collins could not confirm Cook had wanted to be the club’s complaints officer.

‘He may have put his name forward,’ he said. ‘He volunteered for lots of things. I don’t remember him being put forward in that position. 

‘There are various roles that he’s held in the past within the club, including treasurer.’

In March this year, Cook was awarded the National Medal through Surf Life Saving Australia in recognition of 15 seasons of beach patrolling for at least 30 hours each year. 

Cook will face a sentencing hearing at Sutherland Local Court in Sydney’s south in November.