Former 2GB Staffer Alleges Decade-Long Grooming by Alan Jones, Court Hears Explicit Text Exchange
Sydney, Australia – A Sydney court has heard explosive allegations that former star broadcaster Alan Jones groomed a junior staffer at 2GB for a decade, leading to the young man sending numerous explicit text messages to Jones. The complainant, identified as "Complainant C," has testified that Jones allegedly touched his penis and kissed him during his time as Jones’s driver in the mid-2000s.
Jones, 85, has pleaded not guilty to a total of 20 indecent assault charges and two counts of sexual touching relating to six different men.
During cross-examination at the Downing Centre Local Court on Tuesday, defence barrister Gabrielle Bashir SC challenged Complainant C, suggesting that the continued text correspondence between the two, even after C left his driving position, was "inconsistent" with him feeling uncomfortable following the alleged incidents.
However, Complainant C vehemently 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."
The court was presented with a text message sent by Complainant C to Jones in 2015, which read: "I’m a bachelor again. The Donkey is out." When pressed by Bashir as to why he would send a text referencing his penis to a man he alleges touched him without consent, C responded, "I knew he would like to be spoken to like that."
Bashir repeatedly argued that the explicit nature of C’s texts to Jones, some of which were initiated by the younger man, were not indicative of him having been assaulted. Complainant C countered, "I was a junior staffer 40 years younger than him."
Complainant C began working at 2GB at the age of 18 in the mid-2000s, testifying last week that the alleged unwanted touching commenced a few years later when he became Jones’s driver.
Further text exchanges were highlighted in court, including messages where both men discussed the size of C’s penis. One message from C included winking face and eggplant emojis, which he confirmed represented his penis, to which Jones allegedly replied: "Fuck, I need to see the Donkey."
Visibly frustrated during the cross-examination, Complainant C expressed his discomfort with reading the messages from the mid-2010s. He explained his rationale for sending such texts: "I sent those messages because I knew I never had to act on it."
He continued, "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."
When questioned about maintaining a relationship with Jones after leaving his employment, Complainant C cited Jones’s significant influence in the industry. "Alan was still very, very powerful in our industry. Dare I say, he had more power than Ray Hadley."
At one point, Judge Glenn Walsh intervened, noting that Bashir had asserted the allegations were untrue 16 times to the witness.
The court had previously heard that in October 2019, Complainant C confided in Jones’s rival 2GB broadcaster, Ray Hadley, revealing that Jones used to kiss him and touch his penis.
Bashir also questioned Complainant C about inviting Jones to his wedding and acknowledging the broadcaster’s generosity in his wedding speech. The court heard Jones presented Complainant C with a $2,000 cheque as a wedding gift. Complainant C explained that he felt compelled to invite Jones to avoid alienating him.
The defence barrister further suggested that Complainant C was not as "uncomfortable and anxious" as he claimed during a meeting with Jones and his then-employer at Jones’s Circular Quay apartment. Bashir cited a contradictory text message C sent to Jones around the same time, which read: "I miss hanging out with you and seeing your face every day."
Complainant C clarified that due to his job working for a politician, it was "important to keep that relationship with Alan – the sentiments were not genuine." He added, "I never would have told Alan that I was uncomfortable and anxious."
The trial before Judge Walsh is ongoing.
