An athlete allegedly refrained from telling his mother about repeated indecent assaults by Alan Jones due to a fear of being labeled a liar and being overwhelmed in court. He is one of six men who claim the veteran broadcaster engaged in sexual misconduct between 2003 and 2020. Jones, 85, has pleaded not guilty to 22 charges of indecent assault and sexual touching without consent.
The former athlete, the first complainant to testify in Jones's trial, concluded six days in the witness box. He stated that he did not inform his mother of the alleged assaults before reporting them to the police in 2024 because he was not prepared and believed she would pressure him to come forward. "I thought exactly what's happened here (would happen)," he told the court. "I would be called a liar and I would be crushed in court and no one would believe me."
When the allegations first surfaced in newspapers in 2023, his mother inquired if Jones had behaved inappropriately towards him. After initially denying it, the athlete disclosed the truth to his mother after reporting Jones to the police in 2024, as officers had indicated they would contact her, the court heard.
During cross-examination, the athlete acknowledged inconsistencies in his statements but maintained he was making a genuine effort to recall events from two decades prior. In one instance, he told police Jones pulled his underwear down to his ankles before assaulting him, but later clarified they were only a quarter of the way down his legs. The athlete repeatedly denied fabricating the allegations to humiliate Jones or for financial reasons, stating, "I don't want anything other than proper justice from this matter. I'm not after any of his money."
Evidence presented in court indicated that Jones provided the athlete with a phone and a car, as well as a weekly stipend of up to $600 for nine years to allow him to concentrate on sports. The athlete testified that Jones did not explicitly threaten to cease financial support if he refused sexually charged requests, but he reportedly feared the broadcaster's influence.
Jones, a former prominent radio host who retired in 2020, faces nine indecent assault charges related to this athlete, who is more than four decades his junior. He denies all accusations. The hearing is ongoing before Judge Glenn Walsh.