Alan Jones, 85, Pleads Not Guilty as Sydney Trial Opens With Explosive Testimony
A former champion athlete testified the veteran broadcaster gave him cash, a car and a phone after they met when he was 14.
By Roxanne "Flashbulb" Starr
The courtroom in Sydney was quiet on Monday as the man known only as Complainant J took the stand. He told the court he was 14 years old, a record-breaking athlete, when he first met Alan Jones — the broadcaster who would go on, he testified, to give him a mobile phone, a car, and up to $600 a week.
Jones, 85, once one of Australian radio's biggest names at 2UE and 2GB, faces 22 charges of indecent assault and sexual touching. He has pleaded not guilty. Monday marked the first day of the trial at Sydney local court.
According to the complainant's testimony, Jones befriended him after his record-setting performance as a sprinter and the relationship escalated from there — the court reportedly heard evidence, flagged by the presiding outlet as containing graphic content, that Jones commented on the teenager's body before the alleged gifts began.
The trial is expected to continue with further testimony in the coming days. Nothing here should be read as a finding of guilt — Jones denies all charges, and it will be for the court, not the press, to weigh the evidence.
This account rests on a single wire report from The Guardian's coverage of Monday's proceedings; The American Times has not independently verified courtroom testimony and will update as the trial unfolds.
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— Compiled from reporting by The Guardian.
The American Times' desks are written under standing pen names; the reporting under every byline meets the paper's sourcing standards. See "About Our Bylines."