Alan Jones was rarely lost for words in front of a microphone during his decades-long broadcasting career but on Monday he was uncharacteristically silent as he left a police station having been charged with 24 offences against eight male victims, including a former Olympian and a 17-year-old.
Jones, 83, was arrested around 7.45am on Monday at his Circular Quay apartment and later taken to Day Street Police Station in the Sydney CBD after detectives searched his home.
Shortly after 3pm, NSW Police revealed Jones had been hit by a slew of charges involving 24 alleged offences against eight alleged victims between 2001 to 2019.
These included: ’11 counts of aggravated indecent assault – victim under authority of offender, nine counts of assault with act of indecency, two counts of sexually touch another person without consent and two counts of common assault’, NSW Police said.
Assistant Commissioner Michael Fitzgerald, State Crime Command commended the alleged victims on their bravery for coming forward.
‘The youngest of the victims was 17 year olds when the alleged offences took place,’ he told reporters on Monday afternoon.
Another of the alleged victims Jones is accused of indecently assaulting is a former Olympic athlete, according to the Daily Telegraph.
Mr Fitzgerald said that police are ‘currently talking to people and will continue talking to people’.
‘We believe that we will have more people coming forward with information so strike force Bonnefin will continue,’ he added.
Jones said nothing as he left Day Street Police station on Monday afternoon and appeared to briefly snarl at the waiting media pack who thrust microphones in front of his face.
The former talkback king, who was dressed in an all-green tracksuit ensemble with emerald loafers, struggled to a waiting car with the aid of a walking stick.
His lawyer, Chris Murphy, said he would be defending the charges.
‘Nothing has been tested, nothing has been proven,’ Mr Murphy said.
‘Alan Jones will assert his innocence appropriately in the courtroom – he denies any misconduct, this matter will be defended.’
Mr Murphy, who is one of ‘s most successful criminal advocates, slammed the conduct of Assistant Commissioner Michael Fitzgerald.
‘I think it’s totally contemptible of the assistant commissioner of police to be praising the witnesses who he might like to call victims,’ Mr Murphy added.
Mr Fitzgerald had previously praised the ‘bravery’ of the alleged victims.
He said they knew Jones in a personal or professional capacity, while others had only met him for the first time when the alleged offences took place.
Detective Superintendent Linda Howlett, State Crime Command’s Child Abuse Squad, was asked about Jones’s emotional state following his shock arrest on Monday morning.
‘He was quite calm (upon his arrest) and did seek legal advice,’ Ms Howlett said.
Jones was granted conditional bail, which bans him from leaving the country.
He will appear before Downing Centre Local Court on Wednesday 18 December 2024.
Later in the day, police said ‘a number’ of electronic devices were seized from Jones’s harbourside apartment, but would not elaborate further.
Jones has vehemently denied any wrongdoing and his lawyers have described the allegations against him as demonstrably false and defamatory.
NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb said she anticipated other alleged victims could come forward.
‘This is a result of a very long, thorough, protracted investigation … I did visit the strike force some weeks and months ago to look at the work that they have been doing, it is very complex and protracted,’ she said.
‘There’s no such thing as a matter that’s too old to be investigated … what I’d say to victims is that there is no better time to come forward than now and you will be listened to and we will take your matter seriously.’
Police said the charges followed a near-nine-month investigation by the State Crime Command’s Child Abuse Squad which started in March.
Strike Force Bonnefin was set up to investigate a number of alleged indecent assaults and sexual touching incidents between 2001 and 2019, said NSW Police.
Nine newspapers first reported allegations against Jones almost a year ago, including claims Jones inappropriately kissed and groped a 17-year-old schoolboy who visited his sprawling Southern Highlands estate in 2017.
The allegations relate almost exclusively to Jones’ time at Sydney’s leading talkback station, 2GB, but predate its current ownership by Nine Radio.
Bryan Wrench, one of ‘s most prominent defence lawyers, rushed to Jones’ apartment on news of the arrest. He was pictured outside the police station with his boss, fearsome criminal defence barrister Chris Murphy.
Jones said he ‘refuted’ the allegations against him ‘entirely and the inferences associated with them’, in a video statement released in March.
Jones said he had ‘every intention of returning to broadcasting eventually’, but sources close to the broadcaster said he had no intention of returning to the spotlight in the immediate future and remained on ‘indefinite’ leave.
He claimed medical ailments had kept him from appearing on right-wing online video producer ADH TV, which distributes its materials to video-sharing and social media platforms.
‘The get-Jones campaign is nothing new in my life,’ Jones said in the video.
‘I am not going to dwell, here, on the allegations made about me other than to say that I refute them entirely and the inferences associated with them.’
Daily Mail reported earlier this month that NSW Police were quietly probing claims Jones abused his powerful position as Sydney’s reigning talkback radio king.
Sources familiar with the investigation said detectives had spoken with a number of alleged victims.
The Sydney Morning Herald has also canvassed allegations going back almost 60 years when Jones was beginning his working life, which has included stints as a Prime Ministerial speech writer, Wallabies rugby union coach and teacher at Brisbane Grammar and The King’s College.
A former 2GB employee also alleged Jones repeatedly indecently assaulted him.
Jones’ former 2GB colleagues were forced to address the news on their shows on Monday morning, including Ray Hadley.
After telling listeners he intended to ring Nine newspaper journalist Kate McClymont, who broke the news of Jones’ arrest on Monday, Hadley said he could not comment further on the matter ‘because it will now be before the court’.
Hadley, who for many years worked with Jones, made the shock announcement earlier this month that he was retiring after 43 years behind the microphone but denied it had anything to do with Jones’ arrest.
‘It is completely devoid of the decision I’ve taken.’ Hadley, 70, said on Monday.
‘To the narks who are contacting me about me leaving because of this and all the rest of it … this had nothing whatsoever to do with my decision.’
It is understood Hadley has indicated to detectives he is prepared to give evidence against his former top-rating colleague after one of Jones’ alleged victims confided in him several years ago.
Hadley is said to have severed his relationship with Jones in the wake of the revelations and has since offered his unequivocal support to those speaking up about their alleged encounters with the disgraced breakfast radio star.
Hadley said a former 2GB employee, who was given the pseudonym of Brad Webster, confided in him during a private meeting.
‘I regard this man not as an attention-seeker or someone who seeks notoriety – but rather directly the opposite,’ he said.
‘The behaviour he was alleging was unwanted sexual advances from a person in power, that person being his boss Alan Jones.’
Meanwhile, Ben Fordham who took over the breakfast show from Jones in 2020, learnt of the arrest live on air.
‘This is a story that is obviously close to home for us at 2GB, because as I said at the time when these allegations were first printed in the Sydney Morning Herald, they involve people who used to work at this radio station,’ Fordham said.
‘One of them being Alan Jones, and another one being one of the alleged victims,’ Fordham said, four years after taking over the breakfast show from Jones.
Jones made a rare public appearance in July when was a guest speaker at a dinner to celebrate Matt Canavan’s 10th anniversary in the Senate at The Paddock restaurant in the coastal town of Yeppoon, just outside Rockhampton, in Queensland.
He appeared in good spirits as he smiled while posing for photographs with other attendees, including Liberal National Party representatives Donna Kirkland and Glen Kelly and former Labor Party powerbroker Graham Richardson.