Radio presenter Alan Jones has previously denied allegations of indecent assault broadcast by local media.

Australia’s veteran broadcaster and former rugby coach Alan Jones has been arrested following an investigation into alleged sex offenses spanning two decades, local media have reported.

Jones, 83, has been a fixture of Australian broadcasting since the mid-1980s, hosting influential shows on Sydney radio stations 2GB and 2UE and the Sky News television network.

Jones, who is known for his conservative views, was last behind the microphone last November while presenting his show on 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 adviser 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 union team, leading the team to 86 wins in 102 matches, including a “grand slam” of victories in England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland.

In a statement on Monday, New South Wales police said detectives from a child abuse team arrested an 83-year-old man at a property in Sydney’s Circular Quay district.

NSW 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 have not named the man arrested.

NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb told a news conference the arrest followed a “very complex and lengthy” investigation.

Jones denied allegations of indecent assault and inappropriate touching in December after the Sydney Morning Herald published an investigation detailing claims she used her position to prey on her young men.

In a statement at the time, Jones’ lawyer described the allegations as “outrageous, extremely offensive and grossly defamatory of him”.