Former 2GB and Sky News Australia presenter Alan Jones has pleaded not guilty to 27 charges, including 25 counts of indecent assault and two of sexual touching, relating to nine complainants. The charges were downgraded after prosecutors dropped 17 of the original 44 charges and two alleged victims were removed from the case.
Court documents released on Thursday detail allegations spanning from 2004 to 2020, including claims that Jones kissed, stroked, undressed, and rubbed the penis of victims at his home, restaurants, and public events. In one incident in 2014, Jones allegedly indecently assaulted a complainant by rubbing his leg towards his crotch during a performance at the Sydney Opera House.
Jones's lawyer, Bryan Wrench, told the Downing Centre Local Court that there were no charges relating to aggravated indecent assault or that Jones had the complainants under his authority. The case will proceed in the local court before a magistrate, rather than a district court jury trial, with the trial expected to begin in 2026.
The court heard that the Director of Public Prosecutions estimated the trial would take six weeks, while Wrench suggested it could last up to five months. Magistrate Sharon Freund noted the case was a “massive drain on already stretched resources.” The case returns to court on 11 November.
