By Roxanne "Flashbulb" Starr
A Sydney courtroom turned combative Tuesday as a man who says he was a young driver for broadcaster Alan Jones pushed back hard against defense questioning, telling Jones's barrister to "get real" during cross-examination.
According to The Guardian, the man — identified in court only as Complainant C — told the Downing Centre local court that Jones groomed him over the course of a decade at 2GB, allegedly resulting in the young man sending explicit texts to the broadcaster. C has previously told the court that as a young man, Jones allegedly touched his penis and kissed him.
Jones, once one of Australia's most powerful radio voices, has pleaded not guilty to 22 charges of indecent assault and sexual touching relating to six men. The trial is ongoing, and the outcome of the cross-examination — including how the defense's specific challenges to C's account were received by the court — was not fully detailed in available reporting.
This account rests on a single source, The Guardian's courtroom coverage; we have not independently verified the exchange and will update as further reporting, including from other outlets covering the trial, becomes available. As with any case still before the court, the charges remain allegations that Jones denies, and no verdict has been reached.
If I can't source it, you won't read it here.
— 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."