Sky News host Peta Credlin has issued an emotional response in the wake of the arrest and charges laid against her long time friend and colleague Alan Jones in Sydney on Monday.
The former talkback radio king has been charged with 24 offences against eight male alleged victims, including a former Olympian and a 17-year-old boy.
It comes as new details emerged that NSW Police moved to arrest Jones on Monday after becoming aware he had a planned upcoming trip to the US.
Daily Mail does not suggest Mr Jones’ trip was linked to the investigation.
With her voice at times close to breaking, Credlin on Monday night acknowledged the seriousness of the charges but claimed the alleged behaviour was ‘entirely out of character’ for Jones.
‘These allegations will now be tested in court where evidence will be put forward and that evidence judged. All of it, in a very public way,’ Credlin, who previously co-hosted a Sky News program with Jones, said.
‘As it should be because we believe in the rule of law in this country and we expect it to be applied openly, transparently and fairly.’
But she suggested Jones had not been treated fairly, saying ‘he wasn’t given the option of presenting himself to the police station, and plainly, the media were briefed in advance of what was to happen’.
Credlin said that was ‘something that doesn’t sit well with any of us who expect justice to be blind’.
‘I’ve known Alan well for nearly two decades, and seen him in many different contexts, and the behaviour alleged is entirely out of character with the man I’ve known,’ she said.
Credlin also referred to her legal background in saying how important the presumption of innocence is.
‘As a lawyer, I want to remind all of us in the media that it’s a fundamental rule of justice that someone in this country is innocent until proven guilty,’ she said.
‘We are not judges here, nor are we the jury.’
She closed out the segment wishing her friend well ‘for what will be a difficult few months ahead’.
‘I do not know what happened in the past, but I know tonight – for everyone involved – this is a traumatic day,’ Credlin said.
It’s understood that Jones had known about the nine-month police investigation for some time but had no idea that the arrest would happen on Monday, A Current Affair reported.
Jones, 83, was arrested around 7.45am on Monday at his luxury 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 with a slew of charges involving 24 alleged offences against eight alleged victims between 2001 to 2019.
The charges 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.
Jones said nothing to the large media scrum as he left Day Street Police station on Monday afternoon and appeared to briefly snarl at waiting reporters as they thrust microphones in front of his face.
The former radio shock jock, who was dressed in an all-green tracksuit ensemble with emerald loafers, made his way slowly to a waiting car while using a walking stick.
His high profile lawyer, Chris Murphy, said that his client would be defending the charges.
‘Nothing has been tested, nothing has been proven,’ Mr Murphy said to the surrounding journalists.
‘Alan Jones will assert his innocence appropriately in the courtroom – he denies any misconduct, this matter will be defended.’
Another Sky News host, Andrew Bolt, also weight into the case on Monday night.
He pointed out the massive influence Jones once held, with prime ministers and state premiers ready to come on his show at a moment’s notice.
‘This could be one of greatest falls from grace we have seen in this country,’ Bolt said.
‘If so, we are going to be asking ourselves how people bend to power. And ask who else knew of what Jones allegedly did?
‘Are our free speech laws so ridiculous now that it’s now too dangerous to raise such allegations against the powerful?
‘Certainly alleged victims have said they didn’t dare speak against a man with so much influence.’
Bolt pointed out that though they were colleagues on Sky News, he barely knew Jones.
‘I’ve met Jones only briefly a handful of times, I saw or heard nothing – I’ve got to say to me he was always studiously polite,’ Bolt said.
‘But I wonder how – if true – he could allegedly abuse staff while at (Sydney radio station) 2GB over years and years and not one person in authority there knew.’
Police will allege in court that the authority Jones acted under was an employment contract.
On Monday afternoon, NSW Crime Command assistant commissioner Michael Fitzgerald praised the alleged victims of Jones for their bravery in coming forward.
‘In regards to the victims, we will allege that the accused knew some of them personally. Some of them professionally,’ he said.
‘And we’ll also allege that some of the victims, when the alleged offence took place, was the first time that they ever met the accused.’
‘I wish to commend the victims in their bravery in coming forward. They are fully aware, as are the investigators, that the hard work is just beginning.
‘They have given their statements fully aware they will go through the courts.’
Jones’ lawyer was not impressed with the assistant commissioner’s comments.
‘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 said.
Jones was granted conditional bail and is banned from leaving the country.
He will appear in Downing Centre Local Court on December 18.