Gina Rinehart deletes mentions of Alan Jones; others carefully word ...
Alan Jones has been hit by fresh criminal charges as the number of his alleged victims grows to nine and high-profile supporters of the former broadcaster splinter over whether to continue publicly backing the accused abuser.
Australia’s richest person, Gina Rinehart, appears to have distanced herself from Jones since his arrest, with the mining magnate’s company websites scrubbed of any mention of the former radio star.
Gina Rinehart’s websites have been scrubbed of all mentions of broadcaster Alan Jones after his arrest on Monday.
Links to articles related to Jones on the websites of Hancock Prospecting and S Kidman & Co, and Rinehart’s personal site, were on Tuesday displaying an error message. Links to non-Jones related content were not displaying the same error message.
Jones labelled Rinehart “most probably the greatest living Australian” at the launch of her cookbook, Things We Love, in 2019. Jones’ speech from the event, where he also called the miner a “beautiful lady”, is no longer available on the S Kidman & Co site. Rinehart declined to comment on Tuesday.
Jones’ status as a member of the Australian Media Hall of Fame is also in doubt after organisers said the text of his online tribute page would be updated and his inclusion potentially reviewed after any criminal trial.
“We’ll be adding information to Alan Jones’ Media Hall of Fame entry outlining the serious allegations against him,” a spokesperson said. “We’ll allow the legal process to be completed before taking any further steps.”
Former broadcaster Alan Jones in police custody on Monday before he was released on bail.Credit: Nick Moir
The Melbourne Press Club inducted Jones into The Australian Media Hall of Fame in 2017 despite the cash-for-comment affair and a series of other scandals, including his incendiary 2012 claim that the father of the then prime minister Julia Gillard had “died of shame”.
Organisers of the Sport Australia Hall of Fame, of which Jones was inducted in 1989, said its policy when a member faces charges is to call for a special general meeting and write a letter to the accused member, giving them a certain timeframe to respond. The organisation’s board of directors would then decide on any action.
“As this matter is before the courts, we are unable to comment,” a spokeswoman said.
In July last year, the organisation’s board voted unanimously to expel former AFL star Barry Cable after a judge found he sexually abused a young girl when he was a player.
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Police on Tuesday revealed Jones, 83, had been charged with an additional two assault offences after authorities received fresh legal advice about a top-secret investigation by child abuse detectives working for Strike Force Bonnefin.
The strike force was formed following a string of reports published by the Herald and The Age which revealed Jones had used his position of power as a teacher and later as the country’s top-rating radio broadcaster to allegedly prey on a number of young men.
The extra allegations of assault with an act of indecency bring the total number of charges to 26, including 11 counts of aggravated indecent assault which can attract a maximum penalty of seven years’ imprisonment.
The youngest alleged victim was 17 years old.
The former 2GB host and ex-Wallabies coach went to ground on Tuesday after returning to his luxury Circular Quay apartment a day earlier following his dramatic arrest and transfer to Day Street police station.
However, several supporters including billionaire businessman James Packer and former prime minister John Howard described Jones as a “friend” in carefully worded statements.
James Packer and Alan Jones pictured at a charity lunch in Brisbane in 2014.Credit: Glenn Hunt
“Alan Jones is my friend and he is entitled to the presumption of innocence,” Packer told the Herald and The Age.
In 2023, the former media magnate reportedly invested millions in Jones’ Australian Digital Holdings, the online news venture he launched after exiting 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 the influential broadcaster “is a good friend of mine”.
“I have no knowledge of the matters which are the subject of police charges,” he added. “I have no further comment.”
John Howard was a regular guest on Alan Jones’ program and says the broadcaster is still a friend.Credit: Dallas Kilponen
Other known friends and supporters of Jones, such as former cricketer Brett Lee and Labor powerbroker Graham Richardson, declined to comment.
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High-profile conservative commentator Andrew Bolt said if the allegations that Jones indecently assaulted and sexually touched multiple men were proven, it would be “one of the greatest falls from grace” in Australian history.
“This could be one of the greatest falls from grace we have seen in this country, and if so, we are going to be asking ourselves how people bent to power and ask who else knew about what Jones allegedly did,” Bolt said on his Bolt Report program on Sky News.
“How much of the Jones legend will survive this? Let the courts decide.”
Bolt said that “checks were made” before he was hired by the News Corp-owned network, where he worked during and after he was on air at 2GB. Nine owns 2GB, the Herald and The Age.
“I wonder how, if this is true, he could allegedly abuse staff at 2GB over years and years, and not one person in authority there knew?” Bolt asked.
Sky News host Peta Credlin criticised the police and media for what she claimed was unfair treatment of the former broadcaster.
Credlin said it “didn’t sit right” with her that Jones was arrested at his Circular Quay home rather than being given the opportunity to present himself to a police station without the media knowing.
“I’ve known Alan well for nearly two decades and seen him in many different contexts, and the behaviour alleged is entirely out of character with the man I’ve known,” she said.
Jones will face Sydney’s Downing Centre Local Court on December 18.
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