Key facts
- A complainant alleged Alan Jones groomed him for a decade.
- The complainant testified about explicit text messages exchanged with Jones.
- The complainant stated he sent messages because he knew he never had to act on them.
- The complainant explained he maintained contact due to Jones's power in the industry.
- The judge intervened during cross-examination due to repeated assertions that allegations were untrue.
A complainant in a Sydney court has alleged that broadcaster Alan Jones groomed him for a decade, leading to explicit text exchanges between them. The complainant, referred to as C, testified in the Downing Centre local court that Jones, who faces 20 indecent assault charges and two counts of sexual touching, allegedly touched his penis and kissed him when C was a young driver for the 2GB star.
During cross-examination by defence barrister Gabrielle Bashir SC, C stated that the text messages exchanged were consistent with someone who had been groomed for 10 years. When questioned about sending a text referencing his penis to Jones, C responded that he knew Jones would like to be spoken to that way. Bashir repeatedly suggested that C's explicit texts, sometimes initiated by him, were inconsistent with him having been assaulted.
C, who was 18 when he started working at 2GB in the mid-2000s, explained that he sent the messages because he knew he never had to act on them. He expressed frustration with the cross-examination, stating, "I don’t like hearing a bloke 40 years older writing to a straight guy about wanting to play with his penis – get real." He also noted that his continued relationship with Jones after leaving his job was influenced by Jones's significant power in the industry.
At one point, Judge Glenn Walsh intervened, noting that Bashir had suggested to the witness 16 times that the allegations were not true. The court had previously heard that C had confided in rival broadcaster Ray Hadley about the alleged incidents. Bashir also questioned C about inviting Jones to his wedding and mentioning his generosity in his speech, despite the alleged assaults. C stated he invited Jones to avoid alienating him and that his sentiments in texts during a meeting with Jones were not genuine, but a professional necessity.