Squiz Shortcuts - Alan Jones's arrest

Your Shortcut to Alan Jones

Broadcaster Alan Jones was arrested in Sydney on Monday morning and later charged after NSW Police conducted a 9-month investigation into allegations that the 83yo indecently assaulted and inappropriately touched a number of young men. In this Shortcut we'll cover off:

• who Alan Jones is

• the claims made against him 

• and what happens next as his case moves to the courts

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Squiz the Shortcut

I think I know who Alan Jones is…
If you're in Sydney, there's a good chance you do know… But if you don't, or you're from another part of the country, you’ll likely need some background to give you an idea why his arrest has shot to the top of the headlines.

Is this a Sydney radio thing? 
Yep. He was such a big part of the AM radio scene there, which is quite a different market to any other where these really big influential figures host shows. And Alan Jones was absolutely one of those men. 

His influence wasn’t contained to the media?
No, he's someone who had a heavy influence on politics, the arts and sports as well - so a lot of touch points when it comes to influence and power. 

Where do we start?
We won't go through his whole background, but he was born in country Queensland and started out his career as a teacher. He then moved into the political realm, where he ended up being a speechwriter for then-PM Malcolm Fraser. He also ran for preselection for the seat of Eden-Monaro unsuccessfully. 

And he coached the Wallabies?
He had more success there - in fact, he won the Bledisloe Cup as coach in 1986, which is a massive achievement in rugby union.

When does the radio career kick in?
Just before that, in 1985. He started as a broadcaster for 2UE when he was tapped to host their morning show and very quickly turned it into a ratings juggernaut. He became one of the most prominent broadcasters in the country, and when he moved to 2GB in 2002, he took basically his audience with him.

Why was he so popular?
His audience felt like he was fighting for them via his in-your-face/confrontational style, and with it came this wielding of power, particularly over politicians. For example, then PM John Howard had forged a close relationship with Jones - he went on Jones's show almost every week to talk about the issues of the day. 

But there were controversies, right?
For sure - that style did lead him into trouble at times and was a major factor in him leaving radio. He said he retired in 2020, but there were comments he made in 2019 about Kiwi PM Jacinda Ardern. He said that he hoped then PM Scott Morrison would “shove a sock” down her throat which caused an enormous backlash, particularly from advertisers.

That’s full-on…
The Australian Communications and Media Authority thought so - it found those comments weren't in line with generally accepted community standards of decency. And it didn’t go down well with advertisers either. Reports at the time said the station was set to lose about $20 million in support, so the thinking is that probably quickened his exit from radio.

But wasn’t he still on air?
He was - with Sky News. That ended in 2021. And he did go to a streaming news channel called ADH. It's a conservative-leaning streamer but his last stream show though with that station aired in November 2023. 

Why is that date notable? 
Because in December 2023, allegations were published in Nine’s papers that he used his position of power as a teacher and also then as a top-rating radio broadcaster to prey on several young men. The accusations went all the way back to when he was a teacher in the 60s to as recent as a few years ago. 

What were the claims? 
The Jones indecently assaulted, groped, or inappropriately touched young men. Jones immediately denied the allegations and threatened legal action - but no defamation action has been taken. 

So were those claims the ones he was arrested and charged for?
Some of them… NSW Police launched Strike Force Bonnefin, run by the State Crime Command’s Child Abuse Squad, and yesterday, the Commissioner described that investigation as very complex and protracted. 

What are the specifics?
Police investigated a number of alleged indecent assaults and sexual touching incidents between 2001 and 2019. Yesterday, Jones was charged with a total of 24 offences involving 8 alleged victims - this morning, an additional 2 assault offences against a ninth alleged victim were added, bringing the total number of charges to 26.

What does Jones’s team say?
He’s being represented by high-profile criminal lawyers Chris Murphy and Bryan Wrench. Yesterday, Murphy said Jones “denies any misconduct”. He added: “Nothing has been tested. Nothing has been proven. Alan Jones will assert his innocence appropriately in the courtroom.” 

And when does that kick-off?
He's expected to appear before court on 18 December.

Where is he until then?
He’s on bail. He’s had to surrender his passport and agreed not to get in touch with any witnesses. 

There you go.
Indeed… 

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