Broadcaster Jones kissed athlete without consent at public event, trial hears

Alleged victim experienced shock, embarrassment, and psychological distress from unwanted physical contact and grooming behavior over years.
I was in disbelief of where this was happening
The athlete described his reaction to being kissed without consent at a public event during Jones's trial.
Mark

So this witness—he's saying the kiss happened at a public event, in front of people. Why didn't he say something in the moment?

Mimi

He said he froze. He was shocked, embarrassed, in disbelief. Sometimes when something violates your sense of what's normal, your body just stops.

Luke

But we should be clear: the court is hearing his account of his own state of mind. We don't have corroboration from other people at the event who saw it happen.

Mark

What about the text afterward? That seems like direct evidence.

Mimi

Right—he testified that Jones texted him saying he'd like to be kissing him all night. That's the kind of thing that can be documented.

Luke

If the text still exists and can be produced. The article says "something like"—so we're working from the witness's recollection of what the message said, not necessarily the exact words.

Mark

And the relationship before that—the flowers, the gifts, the helicopter ride. Is that relevant to the charges?

Mimi

It paints a picture of how Jones allegedly cultivated access and trust over time. The flattery, the generosity, the special treatment—it all created a dynamic where the athlete felt indebted, uncomfortable saying no.

Luke

That's the prosecution's theory, and it may be persuasive. But we should note: Jones's defense hasn't been heard yet. We're hearing one side of the relationship.

Mark

What strikes me most is that he didn't tell anyone for years.

Mimi

He said he felt trapped, like he couldn't get out. That's a common response to this kind of situation—shame, confusion, not knowing if anyone would believe you.

Luke

True. Though we should also note that the delay in reporting is something a defense might use to question memory or motive. I'm not saying that's fair—I'm saying that's how trials work.

Mark

So we're still waiting to hear Jones's version.

Mimi

Exactly. This is week seven of the trial. There are 22 charges total. We're hearing from the third alleged victim. The full picture will take time to emerge.

  • A prominent athlete froze in a crowded room when Jones kissed him on the mouth without warning — the shock of it made the moment feel unreal, even as it happened in plain sight.
  • The alleged grooming unfolded over years: effusive praise, weekly flower deliveries, helicopter rides, and financial interventions that blurred the line between mentorship and manipulation.
  • At Jones's harbourside apartment, the witness says the broadcaster kissed him on the face while pressing against him and declaring love — the athlete pushed him away and left without a word.
  • The alleged victim carried the experience in silence for years, only speaking out after a newspaper investigation gave his private wound a public context.
  • Now the third complainant to testify, he told the court he did not consent and felt trapped — his account adding weight to a trial that has already stretched into its seventh week.

In a Sydney courtroom, a celebrated athlete has described how years of flattery, gifts, and cultivated intimacy preceded moments of unwanted physical contact at the hands of a powerful broadcaster. The testimony, now in its seventh week of proceedings against Alan Jones, speaks to an older and recurring human story: the way influence and admiration can be weaponised to erode the boundaries of those who are younger, less powerful, or simply unprepared. Jones has pleaded not guilty to all 22 charges, and the trial continues its careful, difficult work of weighing memory against denial.

At Sydney's Downing Centre, a prominent athlete described being kissed without consent by broadcaster Alan Jones at a crowded public event. He froze. He was shocked and embarrassed, unable to process what was happening in a room full of people. That same evening, Jones sent him a text expressing a wish to have been kissing him all night.

The witness, referred to as complainant M, is the third alleged victim to testify in Jones's ongoing trial. Jones faces 22 charges of indecent assault and sexual touching and has pleaded not guilty to all of them.

The relationship had begun when the athlete was a teenager. Jones interviewed him on air, invited him to his Circular Quay apartment, and spoke about him in terms the witness found unsettling — calling him a 'champion' and a 'beautiful man' in ways that felt excessive, even from a parent. Texts followed, telling the athlete he was 'special.' Then came gifts: a weekly bouquet of flowers delivered to his home after he admired the ones on Jones's table, a matching set of tableware after he complimented the crockery. Jones flew him by helicopter to his Southern Highlands farm, and when the athlete confided financial troubles, Jones arranged a meeting at his apartment with the man's bank, agent, and accountant.

The alleged assault came during a private visit to the apartment. The athlete testified that Jones began kissing his face, pressing against him, and saying 'I love you so much, you don't understand how much I love you.' The kisses moved closer to his mouth. He pushed Jones away, said 'OK Mate' in a tone he described as defiant, and left without goodbye. He told no one.

Years later, a newspaper investigation into Jones prompted him to speak — first to friends and his mother, then eventually to the court. Asked whether he had consented to the kiss at the public event, he said no. Asked how he felt, he said he was in disbelief, couldn't understand why it was happening, and felt trapped with nowhere to go.

The trial before judge Glenn Walsh continues.

At Sydney's Downing Centre, a prominent athlete described the moment a well-known broadcaster kissed him without permission at a crowded public event. The witness said he froze. He was shocked, embarrassed, and couldn't quite believe what was happening—not in private, but in a large room full of people, as he walked back to his table. He didn't respond at the time. Later that evening, the broadcaster sent him a text: something to the effect of "I would like to be kissing you all night."

This is the testimony of the third alleged victim in Alan Jones's trial, now in its seventh week at the Sydney courthouse. Jones, a prominent 2GB broadcaster, faces 22 charges of indecent assault and sexual touching. He has pleaded not guilty to all of them. The witness, referred to in court as complainant M, is testifying about two of those charges.

The relationship between the two men had begun years earlier, when the athlete was a teenager. Jones had interviewed him multiple times on air, and a friendship developed. The broadcaster would invite the younger man to his apartment at Macquarie Street in Circular Quay for meals. From the start, Jones's manner was notably effusive. He introduced the athlete in what the witness described as an "incredibly overwhelmingly complimentary" way, using flattering language like "champion" and "beautiful man." The athlete found this uncomfortable—even his own parents didn't speak to him like that. Jones also sent him text messages saying things like "If someone hasn't told you, let me be the person who tells you that you're special."

The gestures escalated. When the athlete once complimented the flowers on Jones's dining table, the broadcaster began sending him a weekly bouquet, delivered by his driver to the athlete's home. On another occasion, when the witness admired the tableware at the apartment, he later received a matching set. Jones flew him by helicopter to his farm in the Southern Highlands. When the athlete confided in Jones about financial difficulties during a visit to the farm, the broadcaster arranged a meeting at his apartment with the athlete's bank, agent, and accountant to help sort things out.

Then came the alleged assault at the apartment. The witness testified that he was alone with Jones when the broadcaster began kissing him on the face and pressing his genitalia against his leg. "The kisses were getting closer to my mouth," the athlete told the court, "and at the same time as kissing me he was saying things like, 'I love you so much, you don't understand how much I love you.'" The witness pushed Jones away, saying "OK Mate" in what he described as a defiant tone—a signal to stop. He left the apartment without saying goodbye and didn't tell anyone what had happened.

Years passed. Then the Sydney Morning Herald published an investigation into Jones. The athlete told friends and his mother that he too had been allegedly assaulted. When asked by prosecutor Georgina Wright SC whether he had consented to being kissed at the public event, he answered no. When asked about his state of mind in that moment, he said: "I was in disbelief of where this was happening, and I didn't understand why it was happening, and there's no reason to suggest why in this public situation you'd kiss someone this way." He also said he felt trapped—"like I couldn't get out of where I was at that time."

The trial continues before judge Glenn Walsh.

I was shocked and embarrassed and I knew I did not want to be there. I'm not certain, but I think I froze at that time.
— The witness, testifying about the public event kiss
The kisses were getting closer to my mouth and at the same time as kissing me he was saying things like, 'I love you so much, you don't know how much I love you.'
— The witness, describing the alleged assault at Jones's apartment
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