Veteran Australian broadcaster and former Wallabies coach Alan Jones has been accused of sexually assaulting eight men over a 20-year period.
Detectives from the New South Wales (NSW) Police Child Abuse Unit detained the 83-year-old man at an apartment in Sydney’s Circular Quay early on Monday morning.
Mr. Jones faces 24 charges, including 11 counts of aggravated sexual assault, for crimes committed between 2001 and 2019.
Mr Jones is one of Australia’s most influential people. He previously denied the allegations of abuse, which were first published by The Sydney Morning Herald in 2023, according to media reports.
He was granted conditional bail and is due to appear in court on December 18.
NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb said officers had been working “tirelessly” to conduct an “extremely complex”, “long-term” and “thorough” investigation.
She added that police may come forward with other victims, as often happens in cases like this.
“No problem is too old to be investigated,” she said at a news conference.
“There is no better time than now. You will be heard and we will take your concerns seriously.”
Mr Jones, a former teacher, coached the Australian national rugby team from 1984 to 1988 before embarking on a career in radio.
He also occasionally served as a speechwriter and advisor to Liberal Party figures, including former Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser, and launched several unsuccessful bids to represent the party in state and federal politics.
A staple of local broadcaster 2GB’s Sydney broadcasts for decades, Mr Jones juggled these duties with TV commentary gigs before retiring from full-time work in 2020, citing health issues.
The network has boasted one of the largest audiences in the country for many years, but it is a polarizing figure that often sparks controversy.
He made headlines in 2012 when he suggested then-Prime Minister Julia Gillard’s father “died of shame”, and in 2019 he faced a major advertiser boycott after saying someone should “shove a sock” down the then-New Zealand leader’s throat. faced. It’s Ardern.
Mr. Jones has also been sued several times for defamation.
