‘I felt violated’: witness alleges Alan Jones kissed him and put hand on his bottom when he was 17

Radio host gave financial help to teenager after starting correspondence with him at the age of 13, court hears

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When Alan Jones allegedly put his tongue inside the mouth of a 17-year-old and touched him on the bottom the teenager recoiled and withdrew to his ensuite where he scrubbed his mouth with a loofah, a Sydney court has heard.

“I felt violated and I felt gross,” the witness, who began corresponding with the broadcaster as a 13-year-old, said in his first day in the witness box where he is the fifth and final complainant in the lengthy trial of the former radio broadcaster.

The man known as complainant A, said he had had written to Jones asking for financial help after his father left, a family member died and his single mother was struggling financially.

The court heard Jones responded by showering the teenager with praise and asking him to keep some secrets from his mother.

Complainant A is one of five men who allege Jones sexually touched them between 2003 and 2020.

Jones, who has pleaded not guilty to 21 charges of indecent assault and sexual touching, replied to the complainant’s letter saying that the young correspondent was a “sophisticated, articulate 13-year-old” who was experiencing “terrible circumstances”.

The young man corresponded with Jones for several years while the older man assisted with his family’s problems, said he visited Jones at his Fitzroy Falls in the school holidays when he was 17 years old.

After dinner when the guests left and they were alone Jones had kissed him on the lips, put his tongue in his mouth and put a hand on his bottom, the court heard.

The witness said he did not consent to the touching and pulled away, saying “Enough Alan. Good night.” He said Jones “had a grin on his face”.

The incident left him scared for the consequences of pushing Jones away, he said. “I needed to be grateful, and being defiant is not being grateful and making a scene is not being grateful”, he said.

“While I was physically able to stop it happening, it showed me the power of money. I was worried I would be kicked out that night and he would cease helping us,” the witness said.

After the incident the complainant said his mother asked why he wasn’t sleeping and he gave her a “vague account” about what happened to him at Fitzroy Falls in a note rather than tell her in person.

“I told her that she had to not guess, but that I had felt violated at Fitzroy Falls about an incident of a sexual nature. “It didn’t contain any details”.

He then made a statement to police in March 2018, the court heard.

Before the alleged assault the 2GB broadcaster had offered to help the family and communicated with the son over email, texts and phone calls. Jones also visited the family at home and on one occasion drove to the house but asked the teenager to come outside to meet him and did not go inside.

He took the teenager to lunch alone at a pub and had him visit him at his Circular Quay apartment twice.

He told the court the butler, David Allan, made him a hot breakfast on one occasion.

During their lengthy correspondence Jones asked for specific details of his mother’s financial distress with housing, employment and superannuation.

“I pioneered the expression ‘Struggle Street’ and I know that’s where you and your mother live,” Jones said in one of the hundreds of emails read out in the Downing Centre court on Tuesday.

Jones signed off his emails: “Lots of love and best wishes, Alan Jones AO,” adding phrases such as “You’re always in my thoughts” and “You are a wonderful young man”.

Jones asked the teenager on several occasions to keep certain details from his mother, suggesting that she was shouldering enough worry as it was.

On one occasion he disclosed to the then-16-year-old that he had just signed a cheque for $86,000 for building work to his mother’s home and added: “That’s just between you and me.”

Complainant A told the court he assured Jones that he was keeping certain conversations confidential, but in reality he would always tell his mother.

After offering to pay for a lawyer to assist the family, Jones wrote to say that the bill was $5,500 and there were limits to his generosity and he “can’t be an endless dripping tap”.

Jones wrote that “lawyers keep the meter running” and “I am not a mobile bank but I am here to help”.

When the teenager suggested he and his mother start paying him back, Jones responded: “I don’t expect any of it back.”

The trial before judge Glenn Walsh continues.

Kaynak: The Guardian · Özgün metin İngilizcedir.