Alan Jones allegedly spent more than $85,000 on renovations for a teenager’s family home before putting his tongue in the boy’s mouth and touching his bottom at the broadcaster’s farm, a court has heard.
The allegation was made by the final complainant in the trial of Jones, 85, who is facing 19 counts of indecent assault and two counts of sexual touching without consent involving five male complainants between 2003 and 2020. Jones denies all the allegations.
The complainant, referred to in court as “A”, told Downing Centre Local Court that he first contacted Jones when he was 13, seeking financial assistance for hardship affecting him and his family. Jones was then in his seventies.
Prosecutor Georgina Wright SC read the court an email in which Jones described the boy’s letter as “very sophisticated” and “articulate”, adding that he hoped the teenager was its author despite the “terrible concerns” he had raised.
Jones later called the boy a “special young man”, offered to help him and arranged to meet him at his home. “A” said Jones helped the family remortgage their property through his contacts and paid for $86,000 of renovations.
The court heard that Jones repeatedly told the teenager to be grateful and asked him not to reveal certain details of the assistance to his mother. In one message, he described the boy as “the most brilliant 13-year-old/14-year-old I have ever met” and a “beautiful human being”.
Jones also told him that there could not be an “endless dripping tap” of financial support. “A” said he visited Jones’s apartment at Circular Quay several times before travelling to the former broadcaster’s Fitzroy Falls property at the age of 17.
Alleged assault at Fitzroy Falls
During the three-day stay, the pair watched television, visited a neighbour’s swimming pool and rode all-terrain vehicles. The teenager also went to an arcade while Jones had a spray tan, the court heard.
On the final evening, “A” said he felt ashamed after accidentally breaking an expensive Versace plate, which appeared to make Jones frustrated or angry. Later, after a dinner and film with two other guests, the pair walked towards the bedrooms.
“A” told the court he leaned in to hug Jones and thank him for the weekend when Jones allegedly put his tongue in his mouth. Jones allegedly continued kissing him before placing a hand on the teenager’s bottom.
He said he pulled away and told Jones: “That’s enough, Alan.” Jones did not respond but grinned, leaving the teenager feeling uncomfortable, the court heard.
“A” said he felt “violated and gross” and scrubbed his mouth in the en suite bathroom. He told Ms Wright that he was confused and frightened, and feared making a scene because Jones had repeatedly reminded him to be grateful.
“Being defiant is not being grateful and making a scene is not being grateful, and so I was terrified of making a scene for fear the support would be withdrawn,” he said.
The next morning, “A” said Jones entered the kitchen with what he described as the same smirk he had seen the previous night. The teenager returned to his bedroom before a butler drove him home.
The court was also shown a letter “A” wrote to his mother shortly after the alleged assault. He wrote that something had happened at Fitzroy Falls and that someone had done something they should not have done.
“Alan had helped us a lot and hopefully could continue to … Whilst I was physically strong enough to prevent what happened from happening, it showed me the power of money,” the letter said.
“A” also wrote that he feared he would be forced to leave that night if he stopped what was happening and said he did not feel able to discuss the incident in detail. The trial continues.
