A man has been arrested and charged after allegedly gaining unlawful entry to the ABC‘s Sydney studios and assaulting triple j Lunch presenter Gen Fricker while she was on air.
The ABC reports 31-year-old Wollongong man Kieren Gallagher is believed to have entered the broadcaster’s Ultimo office on Wednesday, 5th September by tailgating an employee through security, before entering the triple j studios.
Police said Gallagher managed to grab and kiss Fricker while she was live on air. CCTV footage also allegedly shows him walking down a hallway within the ABC building.
Gallagher was arrested on Monday morning near Central Station and taken to Day St police station. He was charged with stalk/intimidate with the intent to cause fear, trespass and common assault and appeared briefly at Central Local Court.
The matter was adjourned while Gallagher undergoes a mental health assessment, but according to court documents, he has allegedly breached his bail conditions after being charged with drug possession and affray offences on 4th September.
In an email to staff, the ABC‘s Director Of News, Analysis & Investigations, Gaven Morris, said more security guards would be brought in.
“There may be increased checks on IDs, security attention at all building entry points and escalated physical security improvement works,” he said. “We are supporting our colleagues directly affected by this incident.”
Morris said that while the ABC had recently invested in increased security, “the success of new systems and infrastructure is always dependent on our behaviour”.
“The ABC is committed to ensuring the safety and wellbeing of all staff and visitors but it is very much a team effort requiring the participation of all staff to be effective,” he said.
Fricker is yet to comment publicly.
