Why Andrew Bolt claims Alan Jones would be ‘lost’ if convicted after radio veteran arrested on sexual touching charges

Andrew Bolt has claimed it would be a ‘lose’ if Alan Jones is convicted because it would demean the ‘inspiring story’ of how a gay man rose to ‘stratospheric success’.

The Sky News commentator made the comments on Monday night, after Jones was arrested that morning on charges of indecent assault and sexual touching.

Jones, 83, worked at Sky News from 2013 until November 2021, but the charges he faces are unrelated to his work at the News Corp-owned broadcaster, where he failed to achieve the massive ratings success he enjoyed at Sydney radio station 2GB.

Bolt said he only met Jones briefly a few times.

‘I didn’t see or hear anything. “In my opinion, I think he is an extremely kind person,” Bolt said, also emphasizing that all background checks were done on Jones before he started working at Sky.

In the five-minute segment talking about Jones’ arrest and charges, Bolt said that the presumption of innocence should be applied, but that it would be a ‘lose’ if a guilty verdict was given.

“I thought Jones’ official story was inspiring,” Bolt said.

‘He was a gay man who went from teaching to coaching our national rugby team, the Wallabies, to being a speechwriter for Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser, to becoming the Liberal candidate, a rare failure, and to spectacular success on radio. .

Sky News commentator Andrew Bolt said it would be a loss if Alan Jones was found guilty because it would demean the “official story” of how a “gay man” could achieve great success.

‘A gay man gives voice to Struggle Street Australians. I thought it was great. ‘To me, this shattered the idea that Australians are fundamentally homophobic.’

Jones has refused to talk about his sexuality throughout his career, despite Bolt claiming this is the ‘official story’.

In nine newspapers, freelance journalist David Leser called out Jones on Tuesday in his 1998 book about the king of radio, ‘Who’s afraid of Alan Jones?’ He explained that he tried to ask this question for a profile titled.

Leser described the strange moment he experienced word for word.

Ben (Leser): ‘I agree with that point, and I say that with all due respect, but ever since the toilet incident in London… you’ve been hounded with all sorts of nonsense about your sexuality. Now can I ask you to save the recording?”

Jones: ‘You’re going to ask me about a nuclear warship.’

Me: ‘I’m going to ask you if you’re gay.’

Jones: ‘I have never confirmed or denied anything… And I don’t believe people should be asked that about their private lives.’

Jones was released on bail following his arrest on Monday and faces 26 charges including indecent assault and sexual touching, with nine victims coming forward.

Me: ‘Well, I understand why you consider my question as a violation of the right to privacy or an imposition…’

Jones: ‘Absolutely.’

Leser said Jones said it was none of his business that his sexuality was an “open secret.”

“No, how could it be?” he replied.

‘There are a lot of things being said about a lot of people and you just have to get on with your life and be convinced of the validity of what you’re doing.’

The ‘London toilet incident’ Leser mentioned at the beginning of the conversation was in reference to when Jones broke into an underground toilet block in Broadwick Street in 1998.

The area was known as a gay hotspot and Jones was arrested after police became suspicious of the length of time he spent in the toilet and charged him with outraging public decency and indecent behavior.

According to journalist Chris Masters, who detailed the incident in a 2006 biography of Jones in a book called Jonestown, Jones told friends that he was standing next to the bathroom sink with his pants unzipped and that he had done nothing untoward.

Jones instead washed his hands in the hope that vigorous movements and running tap water would help him overcome difficulty urinating, Masters wrote.

Jones was released on bail following his arrest on Monday, but was shot with a number of heavy weapons. The charges include 26 alleged crimes against nine victims between 2001 and 2019.

These included 11 counts of aggravated indecent assault (victim under authority of offender, nine counts of indecent assault, two counts of sexually touching another person without consent and two counts of common assault).

The youngest of the alleged victims was only 17 at the time, while another was a former Olympian.

Bolt commented on the demeanor of Jones, who was released on bail on Monday.

“The man himself looked frozen, or I don’t know, calm,” Bolt said as he walked out of Jones’ Day Street police station in central Sydney.

Jones has previously denied the allegations against him and his legal team has said they will fight to clear his name.