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🇬🇧 United Kingdom /Crime & Justice

Alleged victim tells Alan Jones’s barrister he was ‘groomed for 10 years’ and to ‘get real’ during combative cross-examination

From The Guardian · () English

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources In the courts
  • Alan Jones, a former 2GB broadcaster, faces 22 charges including indecent assault and sexual touching involving six men.
  • A complainant, referred to as C, testified that Jones allegedly groomed him for a decade, beginning when C was an 18-year-old driver.
  • During cross-examination, C defended his explicit text messages to Jones, stating they reflected the grooming and his perceived need to communicate in a way Jones expected.

A Sydney court heard allegations that former 2GB broadcaster Alan Jones groomed a junior staffer for a decade, leading to the exchange of explicit text messages.

As a young man, Complainant C was a driver for the 2GB star broadcaster when Jones allegedly touched his penis and kissed him, C has told Downing Centre local court.

— Complainant CDescribing the alleged initial incidents of sexual assault by Alan Jones.

The complainant, identified as C, testified that Jones allegedly touched his penis and kissed him when C was an 18-year-old driver for the broadcaster in the mid-2000s. Jones, now 85, has pleaded not guilty to 20 indecent assault charges and two counts of sexual touching concerning six men.

During a combative cross-examination by defense barrister Gabrielle Bashir SC, C was pressed on text exchanges between himself and Jones after C had left his job. Bashir suggested these messages were inconsistent with C feeling uncomfortable following the alleged incidents. However, C disagreed, stating, "These are messages consistent with someone who had been groomed for 10 years, to think this was an acceptable way to talk with him."

These are messages consistent with someone who had been groomed for 10 years, to think this was an acceptable way to talk with him.

— Complainant CResponding to the defense's assertion that his explicit text messages were inconsistent with feeling victimized.

When questioned about sending explicit texts, including one referencing his penis, C responded, "I knew he would like to be spoken to like that." He further explained the power dynamic, noting, "I was a junior staffer 40 years younger than him." C also stated that he did not like reading the messages from the mid-2010s, where both men discussed penis size, and expressed frustration with the line of questioning, saying, "All my text messages are consistent with what he did to me and how I felt I needed to speak with him. I don’t like hearing a bloke 40 years older writing to a straight guy about wanting to play with his penis – get real."

I was a junior staffer 40 years younger than him.

— Complainant CExplaining the power imbalance during his employment as a driver for Alan Jones.

C explained that he maintained contact with Jones after leaving his job because Jones remained "very, very powerful in our industry," possessing more influence than other prominent broadcasters. The court also heard that C had previously confided in rival broadcaster Ray Hadley about Jones's alleged behavior.

All my text messages are consistent with what he did to me and how I felt I needed to speak with him. I don’t like hearing a bloke 40 years older writing to a straight guy about wanting to play with his penis – get real.

— Complainant CExpressing frustration and disgust with the nature of the text exchanges and the defense's line of questioning.
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Originally published by The Guardian. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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