Kate McClymont: Sydney Morning Herald reporter on Alan Jones being arrested on 24 charges of indecent assault

Australian authorities believe a nine-month investigation into former broadcaster Alan Jones is not over yet.

The 83-year-old will appear in court next month, facing 24 charges.

He's accused of indecently assaulting eight victims over nearly two decades.

Sydney Morning Herald reporter Kate McClymont says Alan Jones was a powerful figure in Australian media - and it took victims years to come forward.

"I think that power imbalance prevented people from coming forward in the past. As one victim said to me - I just don't want Alan Jones to get a state funeral, I want people to know what he has done before he died."

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Right to the Alan Jones story.

Speaker 2 (00:01):
Now.

Speaker 1 (00:02):
Alan Jones obviously is the very famous Australian broadcaster former
rugby coach. He's been arrested and charged with sex assault
offenses spanning almost twenty years. The cops have just in
the last hour or so been giving a press conference
or half hour really, with a little bit more detail
about the eight victims who've come forward.

Speaker 3 (00:17):
We will the accused new some of them personally, some
of them professionally, and we'll also allege that some of
the victims when the alleged defense took place, was the
first time they ever met accused.

Speaker 1 (00:30):
Kate mcclint McClement sorry, is the Sydney Morning Herald's chief
investigative reporter. Her investigation first revealed allegations against Alan Jones
last year and she's with us right now. Hey, Kate,
Hello Heather, Kate. Did the cops not know anything about
this until you started breaking the story?

Speaker 2 (00:46):
No, they had interviewed a seventeen year old then seventeen
year old several years ago, but at that time they
just said, look, give us a statement, but we just
want to let you know that it would be your
word against basically one of the most powerful men in

(01:06):
Australia who will be armed with top eight lawyers. So look,
that was the reality of the situation. But since December
last year, when I revealed that a number of young men,
some on the record, were making allegations of indecent assault
or groping against Alan Jones, I think the dynamic changed

(01:32):
and it's hard to put into words just what a
powerful person Alan Jones has been. And in fact, one
of my victims, who was Alan Jones's driver, said at
the time Alan Jones was more powerful than the Prime
Minister and who was I a nobody. So I think

(01:54):
that power in balance prevented people from coming forward in
the past. But as one victim said to me, I
just don't want Alan Jones to get a state funeral.
I want people to know what he has done before
he died. Now, Alan Jones has denied these allegations and

(02:15):
is maintaining his innocence, so we have to keep that
in mind.

Speaker 1 (02:19):
He threatened you with defamation, ay, did that ever come No?

Speaker 2 (02:23):
But he did. Yes, he did threaten me with a
defamation action, but no he never filed one.

Speaker 1 (02:31):
And tell me something, I mean, without getting too into
too much detail, case did at the moment, what we
understand is groping, right, Is there any allegation beyond that,
anything more serious than that?

Speaker 2 (02:45):
The most serious ones are allegations of indecent sexual assault,
which can attract a jail penalty of five years, So
they are serious offenses. And as you mentioned, there's actually
twenty four chargers, so it'll be interesting to see what happens.

(03:06):
I think that there'll be more detail when Alan Jones
goes to court on the eighteenth of December.

Speaker 1 (03:12):
Is he held in the clink until the eighteenth of December?
Do they let it out?

Speaker 2 (03:15):
No, he was granted bail and there have been restrictions
placed upon him so that he can't leave the country
and we don't know yet what his bail conditions are,
but they will be not to contact witnesses and things
like that.

Speaker 1 (03:33):
All right, Kate, thank you very much, appreciate your time.
It's Kate mclimont Saiday morning, HEROLD chief investigative reported. For
more from Heather Duples, see Alan Drive. Listen live to
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