The former secondary school teacher was outraged in April when a scene featuring two men undressing and kissing in bed screened.
He was watching the episode with his sister and a 15-year-old girl and thought the scene was inappropriate for her and anyone else who may have been watching at 7pm.
"I remember watching it and thinking that it made me feel uncomfortable."
Mr Cross (60) was appalled Television New Zealand "is prepared to accept it is suitable viewing to show a pair of men undressing, getting into bed and one disappearing under the blankets to obviously start oral sex with his mate."
The Broadcasting Standards Authority agreed, finding the scene was not suitable for child viewers, even when subject to guidance from a parent or adult.
It is the first time a complaint against the programme has been upheld by the authority.
No order or punishment has been handed out, but the authority said its decision clarified its expectations surrounding the broadcast of sexual content of that nature during the early evening timeslot.
Mr Cross yesterday said he would have accepted the scene had it screened after 8.30pm but there was no way the programme makers could justify screening such a scene so early in the evening when many young children would be watching.
"I would have had enough of a problem explaining to younger kids what might just be happening under the bed clothes if that had been a heterosexual couple."
TVNZ argued the programme regularly dealt with adult themes and contended the same scene with a heterosexual couple would not have breached broadcasting standards.
Dissatisfied with that response, Mr Cross referred his complaint to the authority.
It agreed and in its decision released yesterday, said the scene in question was not suitable for child viewers, even when subject to guidance from a parent or adult.
It made clear its findings had nothing to do with the fact the scene involved two men.
It also noted TVNZ had reviewed the matter and had put procedures in place to ensure similar breaches did not happen again.
Shortland Street has been on New Zealand screens for more than 15 years.
Mr Cross said it would not have mattered to him if the scene involved a homosexual or heterosexual couple in bed.
"It was just over the top."
A keen Shortland Street fan for many years, Mr Cross said he would continue watching the programme.
He particularly enjoyed it because it was one of the very few programmes on television that featured people, buildings, issues and voices from New Zealand.
