Radio host Alan Jones previously denied allegations of indecent assault broadcast by local media.
Veteran Australian broadcaster and former rugby coach Alan Jones has been arrested following an investigation into alleged sexual offenses spanning two decades, local media reported.
Jones, 83, had been a fixture of Australian broadcasting since the mid-1980s, presenting influential programs on Sydney radio stations 2GB and 2UE and the Sky News television network.
Jones, known for his conservative views, last sat behind the microphone in November last year while presenting his show on streaming news channel ADH TV, which he joined after leaving Sky News at the end of 2021.
Before entering broadcasting, Jones worked as a teacher before moving into politics to serve as a speechwriter and advisor to then Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser in the late 1970s and early 1980s.
From 1984 to 1998, Jones was the head coach of the Australian men's rugby team, leading the team to 86 wins in 102 matches, including a “grand slam” of victories over England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland.
In a statement issued on Monday, New South Wales state police said detectives from a specialist child abuse squad arrested an 83-year-old man at a property in the Circular Quay neighborhood of central Sydney.
New South Wales Police said the arrest followed the establishment of a strike force in March to investigate alleged “indecent assaults and incidents of sexual touching” between 2001 and 2019.
Police did not name the arrested man.
New South Wales Police Commissioner Karen Webb said at a news conference that the arrest followed a “very complex and lengthy” investigation.
In December, Jones denied allegations of indecent assault and inappropriate touching after the Sydney Morning Herald published an investigation detailing claims she had used her position to prey on young men.
In a statement at the time, Jones' attorney described the allegations as “outrageous, extremely offensive and seriously defamatory of him.”
