Broadcaster Accused of Inappropriately Touching Teenager at Farm

A veteran broadcaster has been accused of kissing and inappropriately touching a 17-year-old schoolboy at his farm in the Southern Highlands. The 85-year-old man has pleaded not guilty to 21 counts of indecent assault and sexual touching.

Allegations of Inappropriate Behavior

The fifth and final male complainant to give evidence in the trial told the court that he first contacted the broadcaster when he was 13, sharing details about his family's financial and personal struggles and seeking help. The pair exchanged emails and text messages for several years, with the broadcaster arranging assistance including more than $90,000 in support for his family.

The complainant said he finally agreed to stay at the broadcaster's Fitzroy Falls farm in the Southern Highlands when he had just turned 17. On his second day at the property, he alleged that the broadcaster kissed him and put his tongue inside his mouth.

"I said goodnight to Mr Jones and leant in to hug him to thank him for what was a lovely weekend and express my gratitude for the weekend and what he had done," the complainant said.

"Mr Jones kissed me and he put his tongue inside of my mouth and then I froze. I didn't do anything."

The complainant told the court that the kiss continued until the broadcaster placed his hand on his buttocks, at which point the 17-year-old "recoiled" and stepped backwards.

"I just said, 'that's enough Alan' and looked up at him and said goodnight," the complainant said.

The complainant said the broadcaster did not reply and "had a grin on his face", which he said made him feel "very uncomfortable".

Financial Support and Power Dynamics

The court heard that the complainant felt "terrified" that if he made a scene after the incident, the broadcaster would withdraw the financial support for him and his mother.

"I was worried… about how I needed to be grateful… and being defiant is not being grateful and making a scene is not being grateful," he said.

The complainant said he did not tell his mother about what happened until several days later, when she noticed that he was not sleeping at night.

Email Correspondence

The court heard that the pair began to correspond by email and text message, with the schoolboy explaining in more detail that his father had left the home and was paying "intermittent" child support, and that the house he and his mother were living in was unfinished after the builder walked off the job.

"You sound a special sort of young man," the broadcaster responded, and asked the then-teenager for some more information.

The court was read emails which suggested that over the course of about 12 months, from the complainant's first letter to the broadcaster, the veteran broadcaster met with some bank contacts to assist in having the family's house remortgaged and $600,000 wiped from their debt.

"Just between you and me I wrote the proposal that [the lawyer] put to the Commonwealth Bank," the broadcaster told the complainant in an email.

"That's between you and me… don't worry your mother."

The broadcaster's emails referred to the teenager's "remarkable diligence" at understanding his mother's financial troubles and wanting to help her.

"You're the most brilliant 13 year old/14 year old I think I've ever met," the broadcaster once wrote to the complainant.