Latest news with #allegations
The Guardian
21 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
‘It destroyed me': two more men accuse Christian rock star Michael Tait of sexual assault
Two more men have come forward to accuse Christian rock superstar and Maga firebrand Michael Tait of drugging and sexually assaulting them – including Jason Jones, the founding manager of the American hard-rock band Evanescence. Jones said he was fired from the band – which had ties to Tait – for speaking out about his alleged assault. Jones said the firing, which he claimed happened in 1999, cut him out of Evanescence's massive success beginning in 2003. 'It destroyed me,' said Jones. 'I was achieving my dreams at an early age, and Tait changed all that.' Evanescence co-founder Ben Moody denied Jones was fired from the band for speaking out against Tait. Moody said he does recall Jones telling him about a sexual encounter with Tait, but at the time Moody interpreted it as consensual. 'I was a kid, only 18, and clearly didn't realize what he was going through,' Moody said. 'I'm sure I missed a lot of things I'd recognize today. I didn't realize he was traumatized.' In all, eight alleged victims have now come forward publicly with sexual assault allegations against Tait. A previous investigation by the Guardian reported allegations of sexual assault by Tait against three young men while another from the Christian news outlet the Roys Report reported allegations by three other men. Tait became famous as the frontman for DC Talk and Newsboys, two Christian mega-bands known for packaging conservative rhetoric about sexual abstinence, sobriety, Christian nationalism and the coming rapture in catchy rock songs. Tait has been a supporter of Donald Trump and served as a key bridge between Trump and evangelical voters. Tait has not responded to questions from the Guardian about the allegations against him. But in an Instagram post in June, Tait confessed to a decades-long addiction to cocaine and alcohol and admitted that he had 'at times, touched men in an unwanted, sensual way'. In the post, Tait added that he had recently 'spent six weeks at a treatment center in Utah'. Jones was described by friends who knew him in the 1990s as a happy-go-lucky Christian teenager, bursting with ambition and creativity. Growing up in Arkansas, Jones remembers, one of his biggest dreams was 'to meet DC Talk'. Jones achieved that dream in 1994 after moving to Nashville to manage the band of his friend, Randall Crawford, who was also friends with Tait and introduced the two. Jones recalled going to McDonalds with the DC Talk frontman and being mobbed by so many teenage fans they had to leave before getting their food. 'That kind of thing happened a lot,' he said. Jones was thrilled to be welcomed into Tait's inner circle, yet he was taken aback by what he described as Tait's proclivity for randomly grabbing other men's genitals. He said he eventually learned that Tait was living a double-life as a closeted gay man, which was becoming a problem for a band mentored by Moral Majority co-founder Jerry Falwell, who called Aids 'God's punishment for homosexuality'. While surprised, Jones held no negative feelings toward Tait's sexuality, even taking him to gay clubs in Little Rock (at Tait's request) when DC Talk performed there. Jones was regularly traveling back and forth from Nashville to Little Rock, and in 1995 he met aspiring musician Moody – the two of them hitting it off and collaborating on a project that would come to be named Evanescence. After co-producing the first Evanescence demo, Jones returned to Nashville and began talking up the band to his friend, Tait. Jones, as an evangelical, was sober and a virgin at the time. But he recalls getting caught up in a whirlwind of partying with Tait in 1995, chain-smoking cigarettes and marijuana and closing down bars, then returning to Tait's house to continue drinking. Jones said he was uncomfortable with all of it, but was eager for Tait's approval so he complied. 'I had this band that I was trying to take places,' Jones recalled. 'And [Tait] had the power to open doors for us in the industry. So I went along with whatever, but didn't know what it would cost me.' Jones' used his connection with Tait to help Evanescence get a foot in the door in Nashville, speaking with A&R people, record labels, venue owners, producers and musicians. Sources that wish to remain anonymous alleged that Tait had a rotation of attractive young men at his Nashville home at this time, some of them underage, and that Tait had a 'no clothes allowed' rule in his hot tub. 'He would put his penis against one of the jets, and tell us to do the same, saying 'see, it feels good!'' recalled a source who visited Tait regularly at this time, and wishes to remain anonymous. 'He was all about the shock factor,' recalled Crawford, who was close with Jones and Tait throughout the 90s. 'He was always saying 'let's make out in front of these people!' And I was like 'no, you're gonna destroy your career.' But he felt untouchable. And in some ways, he was.' Around this same time, Crawford recalls Tait driving him through the campus of Liberty University – Falwell's Christian college where DC Talk formed – speeding at 60mph and getting pulled over by campus security, who turned from anger to laughter when seeing Tait behind the wheel, even asking for pictures and autographs. 'After they left, Michael turned to me, calm as ever, and said: 'I can do anything and not get in trouble.'' Jones recalls drinking at Tait's house one night in late 1998, just after DC Talk finished rehearsals for their Supernatural album tour. Jones remembers feeling tired suddenly, and Tait recommended he go to sleep in his bedroom. 'I felt honored that he felt that close to me, that he trusted me enough to let me sleep in his bed,' Jones said. Some time later, Jones recalls waking up, his pants missing, and Tait was giving him oral sex. 'I said no and pushed him off, but then, somehow, I passed out again. I woke back up and he was still doing it. I said no again, then nodded out. And then I woke up a third time, aggressively shouted 'no!' and pushed him harder. It was then that he left me alone.' Looking back, Jones said, 'I believe that Michael Tait drugged me.' Two alleged victims from the Guardian's previous report also say they believe they were drugged by Tait before their alleged assaults. In addition, a female accuser cited by the Roys Report said she believed that Tait supplied Rohypnol or some other sedative to a crew member on a Newsboys tour, who then drugged and raped her while Tait watched. Distraught and in need of comfort, Jones flew home to Little Rock the day after he said he was assaulted. There he confided in a friend and mentor – who wishes to remain anonymous – that he had had 'a bad experience with Tait,' but wouldn't go into details. 'He wasn't the same after that,' Jones's friend recalled. Jones said that in early 1999 he had also confided in his friend and Evanescence co-founder, Ben Moody, about being sexually assaulted by Tait. 'Ben was only 18 at the time, new to the music industry, and I wanted to warn him,' Jones recalled. '[Tait] was flying Ben out to Nashville to write songs together, to see if he fit in Tait's inner-circle.' Moody remembers things differently. 'He didn't frame it as 'sexual assault,'' Moody said. 'He described it as like frat-boy joking around while they were drunk, with [Tait] saying 'what's the big deal? A dick's just a muscle.' And Jason said 'the next thing I know he's sucking my dick.'' Jones said he remains confident that he told Moody the full details of the assault, including that he verbally and physically resisted Tait three times as his consciousness came and went. Moody said he soon noticed a change in Jones's demeanor. Jones, a passionate, fun-loving guy who was easy to get along with, began suffering manic swings from depression to rage to paranoia and then to dissociation. 'After a late night studio he couldn't get the car shifter into gear and he just started screaming, hurling his body around, jerking the shifter violently like he was going to break it off.' Moody said he and the band began wondering if they should continue working with Jones. In retrospect, Moody said: 'I didn't know what he was going through. Looking back I would've been a bit more attentive, but I was the typical 18 year old who wanted to be a rockstar.' Moody said that in a phone call with Tait, he mentioned that Jones had told him about a sexual encounter between them, which Tait then denied. 'I wanted to get ahead of [Jason] talking shit about us and ruining the whole thing. Back then there were rumors Michael Tait [was gay] and at that point, right after [DC Talk's Grammy-winning album] Jesus Freak, he was the biggest thing in Christian music history, and the scandal would've been a huge deal.' Jones and Moody differ on whether he was fired or quit, but both recall the incident with Tait – however it was characterized – as the turning point of the relationship. 'I hid away after that,' Jones recalls. 'I started snorting meth, then smoking it.' His isolation and drug binge would continue for five years. Moody said he regrets how things went down with Jones back then. 'He was my best friend for so many years, and now I ask myself 'how fucking blind could I have been?'' Evanescence went on to be one of the biggest bands in the world, winning 'Best New Artist' and 'Best Hard Rock Performance' at the Grammys in 2003 and eventually selling tens of millions of albums. The following year, Moody and Tait would go on to be roommates and musical collaborators, with Tait singing on Moody's solo album, and Moody producing Tait's solo album, Loveology. In 2003, Moody left Evanescence to pursue his solo career. Evanescence co-founder Amy Lee and other representatives of the band could not be reached for comment. Like Moody, Crawford remembers his friend Jones as a 'a happy guy, a real sweetheart, but all that changed after 1998. I could tell something had happened. He didn't tell me about it at the time, but he has since. And I believe him, because the same thing happened to me.' Crawford first met DC Talk when the band was filming the music video for its first single, Heavenbound, in 1989. Crawford was working in a movie theater in the same Nashville mall the band was filming in. He loved their debut cassette and when they came by to catch a movie he introduced himself and gave them a discount. Crawford remembers his friend Jason Jones getting squeezed out of the management position of Evanescence in early 1999, and that 'it had something to do with Tait', but was unaware of specifics at the time. Back then, Crawford was an ambitious musician, and was being hired to write songs for solo projects for Tait and DC Talk's Toby Mac (the band went on 'hiatus' in 2000, and never officially reunited). Mac's project was later nominated for a Grammy and Dove Award. Crawford had also just signed his own record deal for his band, Webster County. Crawford recalls being distraught over a breakup one night in the fall 2000, and Tait inviting him over to hang out. 'You'll bounce back,' he recalls Tait saying, as he handed him a shot glass of Makers Mark whiskey. 'I told him 'just one,' and took the shot,' he recalled. 'I had a pretty high tolerance for alcohol at the time, but I blacked out shortly after I took that one drink.' Crawford said his memory picks up some time later, finding himself propped up on Tait's kitchen counter, his pants around his ankles. 'My legs were up in the air, and Tait was licking my anus,' he claimed. 'I said 'what are you doing, dude?' and then he said the weirdest thing: 'Hey man, did you catch the Colts game last week?' Like we were just hanging out, chatting.' Crawford said that he fled Tait's house, but has no memory of driving home. He said he is convinced that Tait drugged him. Two close friends of Crawford's have corroborated his story. One of them confirmed that Crawford told him details of the alleged assault at the time, but only named the perpetrator two years ago. The other friend said he was told the whole story at the time. 'I was never the same after that,' Crawford said. 'The joy and drive I had for music went away. Suddenly I had stage fright for the first time, brain-fog, anger issues, depression, and was even suicidal for a time. It ruined my career.' Despite having finished recording the album for his band, Crawford felt unable to perform as a musician, and the record was never released. Both Jones and Crawford recall thinking their assaults were isolated incidents and continued to have some involvement with Tait. Jones accepted a phone call from him when Tait's father passed away and he was distraught, and Crawford says he was 'love bombed' by Tait and succumbed to future advances. After not speaking for years, Tait re-entered his life in 2020. Crawford's wife was a musician herself, and Tait had offered to produce her album. 'I had buried the memory of that night for a long time,' Crawford said. After seeing Tait again, Crawford said, a lot of feelings came to the surface and he found himself weeping uncontrollably in the shower. After confessing to his wife what had happened, she encouraged him to enroll in EMDR trauma therapy, which he said had been helpful. 'Hearing Jason's story recently broke my heart,' he said of reuniting with his friend, Jones, decades later. 'I believe we'd both be in the music industry today if it weren't for Michael Tait.' Jones has been sober since 2008. After leaving the music industry he worked in banking and co-directed a sober living facility. Today he travels around the country sharing his story of abuse and addiction (not mentioning Tait's name when recounting the experience). Shortly after getting sober Jones contacted a law firm to ask about potential compensation he could be owed from Evanescence. According to his 2008 correspondence with the law firm that he shared with the Guardian, the firm told him that, because of the statute of limitations, his window for a suit against Evanescence had closed years earlier. Jones said the lawyers told him that, had he pursued the matter sooner, he could be entitled to up to tens of millions of dollars in compensation. Moody disputed the notion that Jones has ever had the right to compensation for his management efforts in the early days of Evanescence. Looking back 27 years later, Jones recalled the night he told Moody about what had happened to him. Warning him not only about Tait, but about the music industry in general, he recited a quote from the magazine journalist Hunter S Thompson, who said: 'The music business is a cruel and shallow money trench, a long plastic hallway where thieves and pimps run free.' 'And that's true for the Christian music industry as well,' Jones said. 'Even more so, in my case.'
Daily Mail
a day ago
- Daily Mail
One of Australia's oldest and most elite private schools costing upwards of $45,000 a year is rocked by scandal involving principal
The headmaster of one of Sydney 's most elite private schools has taken leave amid allegations he struck a student on the back of the head. Rumours of The King's School headmaster, Tony George, being incredibly blunt and cynical about 'victimhood' began shortly after he took on the top job in July 2017. However, those whispers of authoritarianism around the campus in Parramatta, western Sydney, took a new tone following an alleged incident in the last week of Term Two. Sources close to the school claimed the headmaster struck the back of a senior student's head during discussions in a biblical studies class at the historic Futter Hall. The description of the severity of the assault drastically differs, with some likening it to a 'clip' to the ears while others alleged Mr George descended from the stage to 'hit' the teenager. With students resuming classes for Term Three this week, the school sent a letter to parents informing them it was investigating the alleged incident. In the meantime, Mr George has taken a two-week leave after contracting shingles. The letter, seen by Daily Mail Australia, reassured parents 'the wellbeing of our students and the integrity of our learning environment are of paramount importance'. 'The school is aware of concerns regarding an interaction that occurred during a lecture attended by approximately 100 students and staff,' it read. 'The matter is being reviewed in accordance with the school's established procedures.' The King's School is one of Australia's oldest private schools, having been built in 1831. Fees at the institution start at almost $30,000 for kindergarteners and $47,000 for Year 12 students. Costs are significantly higher for children boarding at the school. Mr George has found himself in headlines several times over the years. Last year he drew attention for his response to negative media coverage of the attitude shown in Australia's elite private schools. 'Toxic masculinity has become a memetic cliché of progressive extremism,' he said. 'Unfortunately, genuine critical reflection and action has given way to movements of cancel culture. 'For example, 'wokeness', initially a call for heightened awareness and sensitivity to social and racial injustices, has evolved into a broader social movement of complaint and victimhood.' Mr George was also the centre of a financial scandal in 2022 after business class flights to London for he and his wife were covered by the school. The pair, alongside the school's deputy and his wife, flew to attend the world's most prestigious rowing event, the Henley Royal Regatta, where students competed. The King's School receives substantial funding from the government on top of its million-dollar profits. In 2024 alone, the school reported a surplus of $4million. In later 2022, the Department of Education launched an audit of King's following concerns it was misusing taxpayer money. The reports stemmed from the school council approving a request from the headmaster to build a plunge pool at his on-site residence. King's was ordered to stop construction of the pool after the government investigation determined it to be an improper use of the school's money. The school has since submitted plans for a $170million campus development. Construction includes a new science and technology building, nine staff townhouses and performing arts centre for primary students. King's also has 'concept plans' for a sports pavilion, new boarding and day boy houses, and an entrance through land owned by Tara Anglican School for Girls.
Fox News
2 days ago
- Politics
- Fox News
Lindsey Graham spars with NBC host over Tulsi Gabbard's Russia-Gate claims
Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., clashed with NBC 'Meet the Press' Host Kristen Welker over Tulsi Gabbard's 'treason' allegations against Obama.
News.com.au
3 days ago
- News.com.au
Monster who may have abused up to 55 Aussie kids named for the first time
EXCLUSIVE Warning: This article discusses the issue of childhood sexual abuse and could be triggering for some readers Today as thousands of Aussie families continue to reel in shock over horrifying allegations plaguing our early child care industry, is unmasking yet another male child care worker, who has been labelled 'one of Australia's most prolific child sexual abusers'. David Neil Tuck had already faced 10 child sexual assault charges in NSW at the time he was awarded a licence by the Eurobodalla Shire Council to run a family day care service out of his own home in Batemans Bay, three hours south of Sydney. It is estimated that Tuck – who ran the facility between 1994 and 1999 – sexually abused as many as 55 children in Batemans Bay alone, and possibly many more across his lifetime. He is also known to have worked as a gymnastics instructor at two YMCAs; as a nurse at a children's hospital west of Sydney; at a juvenile correctional facility; as a carer for disabled children; as a school bus driver for intellectually disabled children; and as a guide on children's holiday camps, before finally opening his own child care centre, which he ran from his remote rural property. Tuck, who has faced allegations of child sexual abuse spanning three decades, is also known to have spent time in Victoria, NSW, Queensland, ACT and South Australia. Until now his name has never been published by other media, due to legal blocks by authorities. Now, with those hurdles removed, two brave women are speaking out with a message they want every Australian to hear about the crisis in our early childcare industry; the harm being done to children; and the lifetime consequences. Hiding in plain sight Hailey* and Laura-Jane Singh (LJ) were just five and seven years old respectively, the first time they attended Bluemoor family day care, located in scenic Batemans Bay, New South Wales. The centre, which also offered overnight services to children aged two to 14, was run by David Tuck, a man who appeared charismatic and jovial on the surface. But Tuck had already been charged with 10 counts of child sexual abuse against an 11-year-old girl when the local council licensed him to run the day and overnight childcare facility from his family property. Had LJ or Hailey's parents known that history, they never would have allowed their children to attend, despite their urgent need for childcare. Nor would the young girls have continued attending, had their families ever got wind of the numerous complaints made against Tuck during the time they attended; including at least two complaints of sexual abuse made by two girls aged seven and 11. Now, LJ and Hailey are waiving their right to anonymity to share their stories in the hope that doing so will help educate others and enable adults to identify the insidious tactics predators use to groom whole families, often starting with the parents and other adults first. 'I can remember the property like I was there yesterday,' LJ, who now lives and works in Melbourne where she raises her own family, told 'There was a big dam, a main house for his family, and then a daycare cottage where we would all sleep alongside David who was the only adult …. At first I really liked going there … you got to play and have fun.' But within four weeks, Tuck would start grooming LJ. 'He would have me sit on his lap and he would make comments like 'You are my favourite child; I love you so much,' and, 'I love you, you're safe here. I won't let anyone hurt you,'' she said. For LJ, who had come from an unstable home life, the words were like catnip. 'I think he was able to identify vulnerability very quickly to his advantage.' Hailey – who was only five when she started attending Bluemoor – also remembers being told it would be a 'safe fun place with lots of other kids'. But then odd rules began to emerge. Creepy rules at Bluemoor family daycare In a written pamphlet obtained by parents were told in the strongest possible terms not to enter the cottage unannounced. 'PARENTS – PLEASE REMEMBER that a daycare home is also a family home and you are asked to respect the privacy of the family. PLEASE KNOCK BEFORE ENTERING … ALLOW TIME.' Once inside, Tuck had a very different set of rules for the children including a mandatory 'open door policy' when it came to using the toilets – this rule also applied to children as old as 12. 'I remember being in the bath on one occasion,' LJ recalled. 'David sat on the toilet and watched us. Although he had his clothes on, I could see that his penis was stiff. I didn't understand what he was doing as I was too young to know but he was rubbing his penis hard, right in front of us. 'I remember the bath water being really hot and focusing on the heat instead of how weird it felt to be watched by David. 'He also always paid close attention to our genital area when he dried us … and he had a rule where we were told we couldn't wear underwear to bed (under our nighties) as our bodies 'needed to breathe'.' Once night time arrived, the abuse got far worse. 'He had a thing where he would choose a child to sleep in his bed each night,' remembers Hailey. 'When you first start attending the daycare, you think (it's) special to be chosen. (You think) it's lucky, you know. Until you get chosen the first time.' For LJ that first time came four weeks into her enrolment at Bluemoor. She was only eight. 'On this night, he chose me. It felt like I'd won a prize,' she said. 'But then he placed his hands under my nightgown … He told me that it was his way of showing me his love. He told me that it was our secret and that I was his special little girl and that what we were doing was OK.' From then, the abuse became more frequent and severe. As did Tuck's threats. 'He would say 'Don't tell anyone. If you tell anyone, you won't be believed. If you tell someone you're going to be hurt or your family's going to be hurt. If you tell somebody you'll be removed, you'll never see your family again.' As a child, obviously that sticks in your mind.' Tragically, for Hailey, who was five when the abuse began, she did try to sound the alarm, but, contrary to what many parents might expect, disclosures of sexual violence from children rarely come in neat little packages that are easily recognisable and decipherable to adults. But that doesn't mean there aren't clear signs. 'I remember being pulled from the car screaming to go there and I think that's what people need to understand: children might tell you but they're going to tell you the only way they know how,' she explained. 'When the abuse first started I didn't even have a word for abuse or sex. I didn't have those words, but … there were other signs, bed-wetting at ages where it's beyond a regular occurrence and withdrawal from school, withdrawal from friends.' Eventually, as Hailey grew older, she mustered up the courage to disclose. 'I do remember distinctively one day when we were getting ready to go to David's and my mother was there getting ready as well,' she said. 'And I thought, you know what, I'm just gonna say it. I need this to stop. I got her attention but she was in a rush. She turned around and said 'what do you want?' 'And just from that reaction and knowing her moods I was like 'well now's not the time to disclose.' 'And you have to remember I've been told the whole time by David 'you're going to be in trouble', 'this needs to be a secret', so there was that huge unknown factor of how she was going to react.' Tragically, LJ was also exhibiting clear signs of abuse but once again, those signs weren't accurately interpreted by other adults. Her educational development was significantly delayed. She was often unwell and absent from school. She began self harming at 10 years old. 'I've looked back through a lot of my old school reports and linked them back to when I started going to David's. In year two, year three, I was still wetting myself at school, I was withdrawn, they talk about my 'inappropriate behaviour' … they're all really clear signs of sexual abuse but it was never picked up,' she said. 'It was never looked at more than there being something wrong with me as a child.' What LJ and Hailey did not know was that in 1991 – several years before they each enrolled – Tuck had gone on trial in Sydney, facing 10 counts of child sexual abuse over incidents spanning 1985 and 1986. The jury had found him not guilty and in 1994 he'd passed a police record check and been licensed to run the child care centre. In 1996, another 11-year-old girl came forward to police alleging sexual abuse. This time no charges were laid and the girl dropped the complaint. But the following year, a third girl came forward, this one aged under eight. She too alleged sexual abuse by David Tuck at his childcare centre, also claiming to authorities that children were made to sleep next to him in his bed. Records obtained through Freedom of Information reveal that it took Council more than nine months to investigate that claim, during which time Tuck was permitted to continue operating his overnight facility. 'In my opinion, had they stepped in at that point it might have saved years of abuse against us,' Hailey said. Instead, in 1999, the girl was pressured to withdraw the complaint and the allegation of sexual abuse was deemed unsubstantiated. Nonetheless the Department of Community Services (DoCS) and the local Council concluded that Tuck was sleeping with children in his bed. He was sent a firm warning letter, advising him that the sleeping arrangement was unsatisfactory but no other substantive penalty was given. 'What is staggering is that not only was he allowed to continue running an overnight child care centre during the investigation,' LJ said. 'But no one from council then ever came out to perform an inspection at night time even after they knew he'd had children sleeping in his bed.' Records obtained through Freedom of Information also indicate that during this time the Council received multiple other non-sexual complaints from other members of the public. While they did perform numerous inspections in person, records indicate these all occurred during daylight hours – and often with advanced notice. LJ, Hailey and a group of David Tuck's victims are now represented by Donaldson Law. A spokesperson from Eurobodalla Shire Council told 'Council has received notification of some claims for compensation arising out of Mr Tuck's operation of a family day care service in the 1990s. As those claims are the subject of legal action, Council is unable to provide any comment on the matters or the operations of the family day care service.' A dead body is found It was Monday July 23, 2001, when a dead body was found inside a car at Lake Tabourie, half an hour north of Batemans Bay. The body belonged to David Tuck, then aged 39. On the Friday three days prior, he'd been charged with sexual offences against yet another child in Queanbeyan. Over the weekend, a further eight children had come forward with their own accounts of sexual abuse against Tuck. By then both Hailey and LJ's families had moved away from the region and neither would learn of the development until later. Tuck too had moved from the area in 1999, after he'd been caught forging parent signatures to receive additional childcare rebate payments. He was found guilty of more than 50 counts of defrauding the local council and left Batemans Bay in disgrace. So by the time Tuck took his own life, more than a dozen children had made allegations spanning more than two decades. And that number was about to explode. Chris Graham, the former editor-in-chief of the local newspaper, The Bay Post, remembers the case well. 'I was a young editor, at 28,' Mr Graham told 'I was known for being a bit of a rule breaker and a bit of a rogue. But it was one time I was warned not only by the government and not only by our lawyers, but also by colleagues and management, not to name Tuck.' Having now worked as a journalist for more than 30 years, Mr Graham says the story still stands out in his mind 'partly because of the sheer number of children that were eventually involved, but also because it is the only time in my career that I can remember actually losing it on the phone at a government official'. 'What had upset me was we were pursuing the story of a man who had sexually abused children and we were being told that we couldn't report not only the man's name – even though he was deceased – but we weren't allowed to report in my view enough detail to alert people within the region of who the man was, where he worked and what children were at risk of being abused,' he explained. 'And my argument to the government was, if we don't make every effort to contact, or at least notify family members that their children may have been exposed to a serial predator, then how are those parents supposed to know that their child may have been harmed by this guy? I mean, it's not always obvious.'' Mr Graham said he was told by a media spokesperson for DoCs, 'well, the man's dead, so the matter's resolved. It's over. It's finished.' 'I remember just being stunned,' he added. 'And then quite angry. And then quite loud. It just seemed basic common sense to me that if you know the name and the identity of the perpetrator, then you would have a duty of care to let people know that their children have been exposed. 'I mean it's inconceivable to me that there would be any other reaction. But that wasn't the government's reaction at all: their reaction was 'the man is deceased, the investigation is over'. 'And they said, 'what are we supposed to say? That their child has been exposed to a pedophile?' 'And I said, 'yeah, that's exactly what you're supposed to say because they're parents. And if it was your children, that's what you'd want to know. 'By then I was yelling down the phone and they were yelling back. It was a pretty unpleasant interaction and it's the only time in my career that's ever happened.' Mr Graham said he also expressed concern that concealing Tuck's name would mean abused children would be left to navigate their trauma in silence, shame and isolation. 'I remember making the argument that children who've been abused by this man will grow up without any assistance to deal with what they have suffered.' That is so patently obvious,' he said. 'But they were not just unmoved, they were absolutely uninterested. They just wanted to get me off the phone and I remember thinking 'am I the only one who thinks trying hard to narrow down the victims of a serial sexual predator was a good idea? Because they clearly didn't think it was.' Then, Mr Graham's newspaper received a tip-off that the number of victims in Batemans Bay alone was suspected to be at least 30. 'And that tip-off came from the police,' says Mr Graham. 'So the story suddenly grew much bigger.' Tuck had access to 55 children Today, records obtained through Freedom of Information show the true number of children Tuck may have sexually abused in Batemans Bay is as high as 55. That number does not take into account the many other workplaces Tuck worked in before coming to Batemans Bay, all of which gave him access to children, including working at a children's hospital, a children's camp, as a gymnastics YMCA instructor, a school bus driver for disabled children, and at a juvenile detention facility. Disturbingly, the FOI records also reveal that on the day of Tuck's death, the police investigation into his crimes against children was immediately terminated – with victim interviews scheduled for that day also cancelled. This was despite authorities noting in official memos that 'a large number of children may have been assaulted and further disclosures are expected over ensuing days and months'. The memos show that an active decision was then made not to brief local school principals or school counsellors despite the belief that more children would keep coming forward. Instead, children would be 'strongly urged' to contact a single service, allowing for containment. The Department of Community Services also established 'Agreed Procedures to respond to future disclosures'. Alarmingly, that procedure involved sending children on a deliberate fool's errand. The procedure states that children who wished to disclose would be referred to JIRT police – the Joint Investigative Response Team. The JIRT team would speak to the child and 'create a detailed event' but then 'reject the referral' and send the child packing, since the investigation had already been closed. LJ was shocked to see the 'agreed procedures'. 'The process was clearly designed to leave the victim feeling exhausted, defeated and demoralised,' she said. 'Children were being sent on a deliberate goose chase with no possibility of any other outcome, other than a dead-end, which was predetermined from the outset. 'It's purposeful misdirection and procedural re-victimisation to lure vulnerable children into coming forward and reliving what they have been through knowing all along that there is no other possible outcome other than rejection.' To this day, no other Australian media has ever named David Tuck and no authorities have ever reached out to Hailey or LJ's families – despite LJ's name appearing on a list of possible victims. As for Chris Graham, he left The Bay Post not long after Tuck's suicide. He went on to help establish the National Indigenous Times, and has won multiple prestigious journalism awards including a Walkley Award and an Australian Human Rights Media Award for other reporting. He now owns and runs independent media outlet New Matilda. He says this story still stands out and unsettles him. 'Looking back, I wish I'd just named the prick,' he said. 'He might be one of Australia's most prolific serial sex offenders. He was a master manipulator and a master at ingratiating himself with adults in order to prey on their children. I mean it gives me chills talking about it. 'He was obviously just born a predator. I wish I had just told everybody David Tuck did this and if your children went to this childcare centre, there's a reasonable likelihood that they were assaulted by this man. 'To this day, I don't know how many victims there are, I shudder to think, I mean he had engineered unfettered access to hundreds of helpless children and he was licensed to do it by the government.' A spokesperson for the NSW Department of Communities and Justice (previously known as DoCS) told 'DCJ takes all allegations of abuse seriously. We extend our deepest sympathies to the victim-survivors in this matter and acknowledge their experiences. 'In 2018, the NSW ombudsman released its report. 'The JIRT partnership – 20 years on', which made 67 recommendations to improve the program. 'All DCJ-specific recommendations have since been implemented. These include new referral criteria.' Fighting for national reform Speaking out today, LJ and Hailey are now spearheading a national campaign, and have launched a petition calling for an overhaul of safety regulations in Australia's childcare industry. They want to prevent other children experiencing a lifetime of trauma, which LJ says has ranged from drug use and self-harm, to violent relationships, homelessness, and multiple mental health struggles. Remarkably, over time and with support from loved ones, LJ – who is a proud Aboriginal woman – has become an academic whose work centres on child protection, social justice and advocacy for Aboriginal young people involved in residential care systems, and Hailey has become a highly regarded professional with tertiary qualifications. Despite their achievements, they continue to suffer immensely and wonder what more they could have achieved were it not for the abuse they suffered. Now, they want accountability for the institutions that shield perpetrators and education for parents, families and children. 'How are children supposed to report if no one has offered language to even describe what's going on?' Hailey added. 'If people were more educated on how to look out for these signs (and if) children were taught their bodies are theirs and nobody should be trying to coerce you into doing anything that would be a strong start.' The women are also on a mission to ensure that every child who was ever abused by David Tuck is given support. 'They should have named him back then,' LJ said. 'That omission had a profound effect as it meant a vital opportunity for us to be believed as children was missed. 'Instead all the onus of responsibility was put on our little shoulders to have to come forward and seek help, and convince the adults in our lives of what we had gone through, with no certainty of what that reaction would be or if we would be taken seriously.' 'I could have accessed support,' Hailey agreed. 'And that could have helped me immensely with dealing with this throughout my life, but particularly in those first instances when I was still a child.' So far, LJ and Hailey have been able to identify around 30 other survivors of Tuck. But they fear there may be many more scattered across the country. 'And that's why we want people to share this far and wide,' Hailey said. 'The biggest thing for me is getting his name out there because we want all survivors of his to know you're not alone and I'm sorry no one told you.'
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Gregg Wallace 'sorry' but says he's 'not a groper'
Former MasterChef host Gregg Wallace has said he is "so sorry" to anyone he hurt, but insisted that he is "not a groper, a sex pest or a flasher". In a new interview with The Sun, the TV presenter also defended his sacked co-host John Torode, saying he is "not a racist". Wallace was sacked earlier this month after a report upheld 45 allegations about his behaviour on the programme, including one of unwelcome physical contact and three of being in a state of undress. Torode was also axed after a claim against him using "an extremely offensive racist term" was upheld. He has said he has "no recollection" of the incident. The inquiry, conducted by an independent law firm, was ordered by MasterChef's production company Banijay in the wake of a BBC News investigation last year, which first revealed claims of misconduct against Wallace. Since then, more than 50 people have come forward to BBC News with claims against him. They include allegations he groped one MasterChef worker at a wrap party and pulled his trousers down in front of another. Gregg Wallace sacked as 50 more people make claims Wallace faces backlash over autism defence MasterChef crisis: Wallace and Torode were 'never friends' Wallace 'sorry' after 45 claims against him upheld The majority of substantiated claims against Wallace related to inappropriate sexual language and humour, but also culturally insensitive or racist comments. In his first interview since being sacked, the presenter acknowledged that he had said things that "offended people, that weren't socially acceptable and perhaps they felt too intimidated or nervous to say anything at the time. "I understand that now - and to anyone I have hurt, I am so sorry." He indicated his background was to blame for those comments, as a former greengrocer from Peckham working in an environment that was "jovial and crude". But he added: "I'm not a groper. People think I've been taking my trousers down and exposing myself - I am not a flasher. "People think I'm a sex pest. I am not." Wallace said that one of the upheld claims against him related to a widely reported incident in which he had allegedly walked around MasterChef's set naked with a sock on his penis. Addressing that incident, he said that there were no contestants on set, and just four of his friends from the show outside his dressing room door. "I was getting changed to go to a black tie event, a charity event. I put my bow tie on and my shirt. It's only them outside the door. I put the sock on, opened the door, went, 'Wahey!' and shut the door again. "The people interviewed were either amused or bemused. Nobody was distressed," he claimed. Autism defence Ahead of the report's publication earlier this month, Wallace posted a now-deleted statement on Instagram in which he appeared to link the misconduct allegations he was facing to his recent autism diagnosis. That led to a backlash from charities and groups working with disabled people. One charity told BBC News that autism is "not a free pass for bad behaviour", while other groups warned that such remarks risked stigmatising the autistic community. In his interview on Friday night, Wallace spoke again about his diagnosis, saying: "I know I struggle to read people. I know people find me weird. Autism is a disability, a registered disability." He also repeated a claim that he "never [wears] pants", saying: "It's not sexualised. It's hypersensitivity - that happens with autism." Last week, Wallace's co-host Torode was sacked after an allegation of using a severely offensive racist term was upheld. BBC News has since revealed that the alleged incident took place on the set of MasterChef in 2018. Torode has said any racist language is "wholly unacceptable". Addressing the claim against his co-host, Wallace said: "I've known John for 30 years and he is not a racist. "And as evidence of that, I'll show you the incredible diversity of the people that he has championed, MasterChef winners, over the years. There is no way that man is a racist. No way. And my sympathies go out to John because I don't want anybody to go through what I've been through." But he added that he had unfollowed Torode and his wife Lisa Faulkner on social media, saying: "We never really did get on that well. "We're two very, very different characters." Earlier this week, the BBC announced that a new series of MasterChef, which was recorded before Wallace and Torode were sacked, will still be broadcast as planned, on BBC One and iPlayer. Some of the women who came forward with claims against Wallace have said they did not think the new series should be shown. One former MasterChef worker, who claims he groped her, told BBC News the decision to go ahead showed "a blatant disregard for the people who have come forward". The BBC said it had taken the decision "after careful consideration and consultation with the contestants". It added it has not yet taken a decision on what to do with the completed celebrity series and Christmas special. New MasterChef series starring sacked hosts to be aired Gregg Wallace sacked as 50 more people make claims Gregg Wallace faces backlash over autism defence MasterChef crisis: Wallace and Torode were 'never friends' Wallace 'sorry' after 45 claims against him upheld John Torode sacked as MasterChef presenter
