Media Personality Alan Jones Arrested for 24 Alleged Sexual Assaults

Former Australian radio titan Alan Jones faces 24 criminal charges following his arrest Monday, culminating a nine-month investigation into alleged sexual abuse spanning nearly two decades. The 83-year-old was taken from his Circular Quay apartment to a Sydney police station, where authorities charged him with 11 counts of aggravated indecent assault, nine counts of indecent assault, two counts of common assault, and two counts of sexual touching, NBC News reports. The charges involve eight victims, one as young as 17 at the time, with offenses allegedly occurring between 2001 and 2019.

Police Commissioner Karen Webb described the arrest per Nine as the result of a “very long, thorough protracted investigation,” adding that “other people may come forward and we are anticipating that other people may come forward.” TV footage showed Jones arriving at and later leaving the police station surrounded by media.

Strike Force Bonnefin launched its investigation after several men came forward with allegations of inappropriate touching and groping. Police say some victims knew Jones personally or professionally, while others had encountered him only once, according to the outlet. Investigators have seized multiple electronic devices from Jones’ residence.

The controversial broadcaster wielded unprecedented influence in Australian media and politics for decades. According to investigative journalist Chris Masters, who authored a 2006 biography titled Jonestown, Jones’ power stemmed from fear rather than respect. “In journalism we confront abuse of power wherever we see it,” Masters told The Guardian. “I was seeing it in my own industry in Jones.” His influence was so significant that Prime Minister John Howard reportedly appointed a dedicated liaison known as the “Minister for Alan Jones.”

Jones hosted Sydney’s top-rated breakfast radio show on 2GB until 2020, earning a reported $4 million salary and achieving 226 survey wins. His career weathered numerous controversies, including a 2019 incident where he suggested then-Prime Minister Scott Morrison should give New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern “a few backhanders” and “shove a sock down her throat” over climate change views. Despite scandals involving cash for comments and inciting hatred, his influence persisted until advertising revenue losses made him a liability, per the outlet.

Masters observed that victims and witnesses emerged only after Jones lost his media platforms: “The difference, of course, is as soon as he finished broadcasting and he lost the bully pulpit, the widespread fear that kept him in power dissipated. It was about fear. It wasn’t about respect. It was about fear.”

Before his broadcasting career, Jones worked as a schoolteacher and achieved notable success coaching the Wallabies national rugby team, leading them to their first and only Grand Slam tour victory in 1984. He was known as a conservative “shock jock” who faced multiple defamation lawsuits throughout his career, according to NBC News.

Jones has previously denied allegations published in the Sydney Morning Herald last year, describing them as “demonstrably false” and threatening legal action against Nine newspapers. Police said the “energy” generated by these stories helped bring the case to court. He has been granted bail and is scheduled to appear in court in December. When confronted by media at the police station Monday, he made no comments.