Gina Rinehart deletes mention of Alan Jones; Other powerful friends express their reactions carefully

A spokesman said: “We cannot comment as this matter is before the courts.”

In July last year, the organisation’s board voted unanimously to expel former AFL star Barry Cable after a judge found he sexually assaulted a teenage girl while he was a player.

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On Tuesday, police announced that Jones, 83, had been charged with two more assault offenses after authorities received new legal advice about a top-secret investigation by child abuse detectives working for the Bonnefin Strike Force.

The strike force was created following a series of reports published by the United States. reporter And Age It revealed that Jones had used his position of power as a teacher and later the country’s top radio broadcaster to allegedly prey on a number of young men.

Additional allegations of assault by indecent act bring the total number of charges to 26; These included 11 counts of aggravated indecent assault, which could carry a maximum prison sentence of seven years.

The youngest victim was allegedly 17 years old.

The former 2GB presenter and former Wallabies coach went down on Tuesday after returning to his luxury Circular Quay flat a day earlier following his dramatic arrest and transfer to Day Street Police Station.

But many supporters, including billionaire businessman James Packer and former prime minister John Howard, described Jones as a “friend” in carefully worded terms.

“Alan Jones is my friend and he is entitled to the presumption of innocence,” Packer said. reporter And Age.

The former media mogul reportedly invested millions in Jones’ Australian Digital Holdings, the online news venture he launched in 2023 after leaving Sky News and 2GB. Three days after Jones announced his retirement from radio in May 2020, Packer called into his 2GB show to wish him well.

Asked about Jones’ arrest, Howard said it was well known that the influential broadcaster was “a good friend of mine.”

“I have no knowledge of the matters that are the subject of the police charge,” he added. “I have no further comment.”

Other known friends and supporters of Jones, such as former cricketer Brett Lee and prominent Labor powerbroker Graham Richardson, declined to comment.

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High-profile conservative commentator Andrew Bolt said if allegations that Jones inappropriately assaulted and sexually touched multiple men were proven it would be “one of the biggest disgraces” in Australian history.

“This may be one of the biggest falls from grace we’ve ever seen in this country, and if so, we’ll be asking ourselves how people came to power, and we’ll be asking who else knew about Jones’ alleged actions,” Bolt said. Bolt Report program on Sky News.

“How much of the Jones legend will survive this? “Let the courts decide,” he said.

Bolt said “checks were made” before he was hired by the News Corp-owned network, where he worked on and after 2GB. Nine has 2GB, reporter And Age.

“I wonder, if this is true, is it alleged that he abused staff at 2GB for years without even a single person in authority there knowing?” Bolt asked.

Sky News presenter Peta Credlin criticized the police and media for what she claimed was unfair treatment of the former broadcaster.

Credlin said it “didn’t sit well with him” that Jones was arrested at his Circular Quay home rather than given the opportunity to present himself at the police station without the media knowing.

“I have known Alan well for almost two decades and have seen him in many different contexts and the alleged behavior is completely out of character for the man I know,” he said.

Jones will appear at Sydney Downing Center Local Court on December 18.

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