‘A stunning development’: Kate McClymont on the arrest of Alan Jones

Published Nov 18, 2024, 6:16 AM

On the same radio station that Alan Jones wielded his extraordinary power, his arrest played out live on air.

Just after 8am, during the middle of his old radio spot, investigative journalist Kate McClymont broke the news that the former broadcaster - who was the most successful and feared of his time - was in the custody of police. 

McClymont, whose work sparked the police investigation, revealed in our mastheads last year that the controversial broadcaster allegedly indecently assaulted, groped or inappropriately touched multiple young men.

Today, Kate McClymont brings us the latest on this significant development and what happens from here.

And just a warning, this episode contains descriptions of alleged sexual assault.

Support is available from the National Sexual Assault, Domestic and Family Violence Counselling Service (1800RESPECT) on 1800 737 732.

 

From the newsrooms of the Sydney Morning Herald and The Age. This is the morning edition. I'm Samantha Selinger Morris. It's Monday, November 18th. On the same radio station that Allen Jones wielded his extraordinary power. His arrest played out live on air.

We have some major breaking news right now.

Just after 8 a.m., during the middle of his old radio spot, investigative journalist Kate McClymont broke the news that the former broadcaster, who was the most successful and feared of his time, was in the custody of police.

Mate Alan Jones, one of Australia's most well-known radio broadcasters. Television broadcasters has been arrested.

McClymont, whose work sparked the police investigation, revealed in our mastheads last year that the controversial broadcaster allegedly indecently assaulted, groped or inappropriately touched multiple young men.

So this is a story that's obviously close to home for us here at two GB, because they involve people who used to work at this radio station, one of them being Alan Jones and the other one being one of the alleged victims.

Today, Kate McClymont brings us the latest on this significant development and what happens from here. So, Kate, we are recording this with you on Monday afternoon, several hours after you broke the news that Alan Jones was arrested. So can you start off just by telling us the latest?

Well, look, the latest is that broadcaster Alan Jones has been charged with a total of 24 offences against eight victims. Now, the police said the youngest of those victims was 17 years old.

About 7:45 a.m. this morning, detectives from the child abuse squad executed a search warrant at a unit in Circular Quay, where they there arrested an 83 year old.

Male and of the offences he's been charged with, there's 11 counts of aggravated indecent assault, there's nine counts of assault with active indecency. And then there's two counts each of sexually touching and common assault.

The accused has been given conditional bail to appear before the Downing Centre local court on the 18th December.

So there's a range of material. But it was interesting that the police said they are now expecting more people to come forward.

I wish to commend the victims and their bravery in coming forward. They fully are aware, as are the investigators, that the hard work is just beginning.

So it was your story in December last year that that triggered this police investigation. So did you actually know this was coming or was his arrest a total surprise?

It was. Look, I knew that there had been a strike force, and I knew that they were investigating. But the fact that this arrest has actually happened is still, to me like a stunning development. And I can't emphasize just, you know, what a turn of events this is for one of the most powerful people in Australian media.

And so can you just remind us, you know, why he's been arrested by police? Tell us about the allegations that he's facing.

So in December last year, I broke this story that I'd been working on for about four years, and that was details of multiple alleged victims of Alan Jones. And we have to make clear from the outset these are just allegations. And Alan Jones has maintained his innocence. So people that I contacted said that there were a range of things that Alan Jones had done, and they ranged from indecent assault to groping and one of the most significant people was a former driver of Alan Jones, who said that he had to drive Jones from his studios in two GB in Piedmont to his luxury apartment at Circular Quay. He said invariably he would try to touch his penis, would grope his thigh. When they got into the lift, he would try to kiss him and at the time, this person said. Alan Jones was more powerful than the prime minister, and I think that's something that we have to keep in mind, is that I cannot emphasize enough how powerful Alan Jones was, and other people said to me the same thing that I was a waiter, I was a singer, you know, I was a junior producer or journalist, and one of the people that I spoke to had actually gone to the police as a 17 year old when he accused Alan Jones of attempting to kiss him, and that person gave a statement to the police, who at the time said to him, look, we just have to be honest with you at the moment. It is going to be the word of a 17 year old schoolboy against one of the most powerful people in the country who will get lawyers. It's going to be a difficult battle, but why don't we keep your statement in case it should emerge sometime down the track? So I understand that that may be one of the people police have been speaking to.

And you mentioned there, you know, the comment from one of the sources you've spoken to who said, you know, you've got to remember, Alan Jones is more powerful than the Prime Minister. That obviously was said many years ago. So can you just remind the listeners, for those of us who, you know, might not be across it, just what Alan Jones's significance in Australia was, and I guess perhaps still is. Well, I.

Think that apart from being a prominent broadcaster, and we'll come to that. But he also coached the Australian rugby union team, the Wallabies. And for the last, you know, 40 odd years he has been the king of the airwaves. And somebody who had prime ministers quaking in their boots would think nothing of, you know, absolutely taking on the police minister at the time. So much so that people felt that Alan Jones was controlling policy and outcomes. So I think until he left radio, he was just basically untouchable.

And so one of the sentences in your story that appeared this morning that really left my jaw dropping, was that the allegations that you've uncovered actually span almost 60 years, which is almost unfathomable. So tell us a bit more about what Jones is accused of doing, because it really does go back such a very long time.

Yes. And I don't know whether there are statutes of limitations that will affect the police investigation, because they've indicated that the period they are looking at is from 2001 to 2019. So a two decade period. But our investigation spoke to one person in particular, who was a schoolboy at Brisbane Grammar in the 1960s, who said that he was in the cricket nets playing cricket and he got hit in the groin by a cricket ball, and Alan Jones put his hands down his pants and cupped his testicles, telling him that would make it better. So over those years, there have been allegations of misbehaviour by Alan Jones, ranging from groping to indecent assaults and indecent assault can attract a maximum penalty of five years. We are talking. These are serious charges that he is facing, and.

So has Alan Jones or his lawyers actually said anything today? And if there are any charges arising out of his wrist, will he fight them?

Look, I'm sure that he will fight them. And we personally haven't heard anything from Alan Jones's lawyers. They did send a threatening legal letter when we first published, threatening defamation, but it never eventuated.

We'll be right back.

And so, can you.

Actually tell us why it's taken so long for these accusations to be exposed and for police to step in, because, like we've been talking about these allegations goes back nearly 60 years. Many of them have to do with rumors that have been circulating in all kinds of fields for for decades.

Look, I think rumors are one thing, but people were too afraid to take on Alan Jones. I can remember, you know, one person I spoke to, Alan Jones, you know, tried to touch his back. He was a football player. And he said Alan Jones ruined his career, like, because he made a fuss about it and said, please don't touch me. Alan Jones had him kicked out of the team. This was a grown man now crying all these years later about what Alan Jones did if you dared to cross him. So and I think that was a significant thing in a lot of victims, was I personally don't have the power to take Alan Jones on. Once a couple of people came forward and some people were happy to be publicly named, that gave confidence for other people to come forward. And even today, I've got fresh allegations involving Jones's behaviour. So you asked about why it's taken the police so long. And I think the answer to that is that there are multiple allegations over multiple decades. So the police would have wanted to step so carefully in this investigation. They would have wanted to make sure that they had every lead, you know, chased down, because they know that Alan Jones has the money and the resources to hire a formidable legal team. So they'd want to have, um, all the, the I's dotted and the T's crossed, so to speak.

And so, Kate, finally.

Have you heard anything from Alan Jones's alleged victims today? And if you have what? Tell me about their reaction.

I had, um, I had one who cried and who just said, look, thank you, but it's premature yet because, you know, let's wait to see what happens. Other people, it's triggering. And I think it's for people who have given statements to police. It's a momentous event for them. It's actually something that they could have only imagined, but now it's actually happened. So there'll be trepidation on their parts, there'll be anxiety. But I think for a lot of people it was just relief that Alan Jones, you know, the most powerful media person in Australia, has been arrested.

And Kate, I lied. I said that was my last question. I do have one more just for those listeners who don't have the privilege that I have, which is that I sit right across you in the newsroom and pass chocolates. That's right. And so I've been privy to just how your phone is absolutely ringing off the hook. And this story does seem to have struck such a chord. Do you have any reflections on on why why people are so invested, I guess, in this particular story.

It's.

Because it's an incredibly prominent and powerful people who has dominated our media for so many years. To think that Alan Jones has actually been arrested is something that a lot of people will struggle to get their heads around, and I know people have said, oh, come on, we've all known about this for years. But as I said, you know, rumors and allegations are one thing for the police to have actually got to the point where he has been arrested and charged just puts it into a whole new ball game.

Well, Kate, I know you run off your feet today, so we really appreciate your time today. So thank you so much.

My pleasure. Thank you Sam.

Support is available from the National Sexual Assault Domestic and Family Violence Counselling service on one 800 respect. 1-800-737-7328. In today's episode of the Morning Edition was produced by Tammy Mills, with technical assistance by Taylor Dent. Our head of audio is Tom McKendrick. The Morning Edition is a production of The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald. If you enjoy the show and want more of our journalism, subscribe to our newspapers today. It's the best way to support what we do. Search the age or Smh.com.au forward slash. Subscribe and sign up for our Morning Edition newsletter to receive a comprehensive summary of the day's most important news, analysis and insights in your inbox every day. Links are in the show. Notes. I'm Samantha Salinger Morris. This is the morning edition. Thanks for listening.