Veteran broadcaster Alan Jones has been charged with historical indecent assault and sexual touching offences spanning two decades.
NSW Police said Mr Jones was charged with a total of 24 offences involving eight alleged victims.
They included 11 counts of aggravated indecent assault, nine counts of assault with act of indecency, two counts of sexually touching another person without consent and two counts of common assault.
On Monday, NSW Police said Child Abuse Squad detectives executed a warrant and arrested the 83-year-old at his luxury Sydney apartment at Circular Quay about 7:45am.
Detective Superintendent Linda Howlett said Mr Jones appeared “calm” at the time of his arrest.
He arrived at Day Street Police Station in the back of an unmarked police car at 11:15am.
Veteran broadcaster Alan Jones arriving at Day Street Police Station in the back of an unmarked police car on November 18, 2024. (ABC News: Ethan Rix)
Assistant Commissioner Michael Fitzgerald said Mr Jones knew the alleged victims both personally and professionally, and that the youngest alleged victim was aged 17 years old.
He said police seized a number of electronic devices during the raid.
The State Crime Command’s Child Abuse Squad established Strike Force Bonnefin in March to investigate a number of alleged indecent assaults and sexual touching incidents between 2001 and 2019.
Mr Jones was granted bail and is expected to appear before Downing Centre Local Court on December 18, police said.
Linda Howlett says Alan Jones was “calm” at the time of his arrest. (ABC News: Monish Nand)
Arrest followed ‘very complex’ investigation
NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb said the arrest followed a “very complex” investigation.
“This is a result of a very long, thorough and protracted investigation,” she said at a press conference between Sydney and Wollongong.
Commissioner Webb said detectives had been “working tirelessly” on the investigation.
“There’s no such thing as a matter that’s too old to be investigated,” she said.
Alan Jones has been arrested. (AAP: Joel Carrett)
NSW Premier Chris Minns, who also spoke at the press conference, declined to comment on the matter.
“I can understand the interest in the topic, but it’s just not appropriate for me to comment on it,” he said.
The commissioner said police anticipated other alleged victims may come forward.
“I can’t speculate in this particular case, but what is often the case is when it is known – the full circumstances and those parties involved – other people may come forward, and we are anticipating that other people may come forward,” she said.
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Assistant Commissioner Fitzgerald commended strike force investigators “for their tenacity and their hard work in bringing this matter before the courts”.
“Historical matters such as this are incredibly hard to investigate and bring before the courts and I again congratulate them for their ongoing investigation that will continue on.”
He said media reporting triggered the creation of Strike Force Bonnefin and subsequent investigation into Mr Jones.
“Bonnefin and the energy that was generated out of those newspaper articles have provided the ability for police to put these matters before the court,” he said.
Superintendent Howlett thanked the alleged victims for coming forward and asked the media to respect their privacy.
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Mr Jones’s long career in the public eye
Mr Jones had a broadcasting career spanning more than 35 years, with the shock jock dominating Sydney’s airwaves for decades.
He started his media career as morning news presenter for 2UE in 1985
NSW Police arrested Mr Jones at his Circular Quay home. (ABC News: Ethan Rix)
Mr Jones is best-known for his program on Sky News and breakfast radio show on Sydney radio station 2GB, which he joined after leaving 2UE in 2002.
He was the morning broadcaster for the station for 18 years until May 2020.
Mr Jones’s contract with Sky News Australia was not renewed in November 2021.
The shock jock later joined streaming news channel ADH TV, which features a slew of conservative political commentators.
His last show on the streaming station aired in November 2023.
Before his broadcasting career, Mr Jones was speechwriter and senior adviser to then prime minister Malcolm Fraser for three years.
He became Australian rugby union coach in 1984 and coached Australia to victory in 102 matches over four years, including winning the 1986 Bledisloe Cup.
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32m agoMon 18 Nov 2024 at 4:51am
That’s the end of the press conference
Assistant Commissioner Fitzgerald and Superintendent Howlett have finished taking questions.
Here’s what we know:
- Alan Jones has been charged with 24 offences against eight alleged victims.
- Police will allege the youngest victim was 17 years old at the time of the offending.
- Some of the alleged victims were known to Mr Jones personally, but others knew him in a work capacity and were employed by him.
- Other complainants did not know Mr Jones at all before the alleged incidents took place.
- Mr Jones was ‘calm’ when police arrested him at his Sydney home this morning, Superintendent Howlett said.
- He is expected to appear before the court on December 18.
34m agoMon 18 Nov 2024 at 4:50am
Questions over bail
Assistant Commissioner Fitzgerald said bail was issued on “certain conditions”.
“[Those conditions] are to protect the [alleged] victims and [they’re] not to be contacted or harassed, and there are also travel restrictions on the basis of him ensuring that he will appear before the court,” he said.
39m agoMon 18 Nov 2024 at 4:45am
Mr Jones to appear in court next month
Assistant Commissioner Fitzgerald said Mr Jones will not be excused from appearing before court next month.
“We expect him to appear before the courts,” he said.
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