Alan Jones, an 85-year-old former Australian radio host and rugby coach, has pleaded not guilty to 22 charges of indecent assault and sexual touching. His trial began on 3 August 2026 at a Sydney court called the Downing Centre. Judge Glenn Walsh is in charge of the case, which is expected to take four months and involve 76 witnesses (The Guardian).

The charges include 20 counts of indecent assault, which means unwanted sexual contact, and two counts of sexual touching, a similar offence under a newer law. Prosecutors say six men, all much younger than Jones at the time, were assaulted by him between 2003 and 2020. The prosecution's main argument is that none of the alleged victims agreed to the conduct (The Chronicle). Prosecutors also said in their opening statements that Jones groped two men while driving with them (BBC).

The first person to give evidence, known as J, is a champion athlete who was 14 when he met Jones. J spoke to the court by video link and said Jones first contacted him through his coach, inviting him to his home several times while J was still at school. J also said he visited Jones at his 2GB radio studios in Pyrmont and told him his mother was a single mother.

J told the court that Jones gave him a mobile phone, a car, and up to $600 a week in cash. J said he had a girlfriend at the time and had talked about this with Jones.

The most specific claim from J's first day of testimony was about an evening at Jones's apartment on Macquarie Street. After a Chinese meal, while they were watching tennis, J said Jones made comments about the size of an athlete's penis, saying he "had a big cock." J said he took the remark as a sign to leave. Jones then hugged him and said, "I love you mate." J said he replied with words like "I love you too, you've done a lot for me."

J then said Jones put his arm out for a cuddle, pulled him slightly towards him, and gave him a "peck kiss on the lips." When the prosecutor, Georgina Wright, asked J whether he agreed to being kissed on the mouth that night, J said, "No, I wasn't given the opportunity." J said he did not kiss Jones back and "froze." He said the kiss lasted "half a second" before Jones's mood changed from "passionate I love you" to "business mode." J walked out and caught the train home.

J is the first of six complainants, the legal term for people making accusations, expected to give evidence. The charges reflect a change in the law: in 2018, the offence of indecent assault was replaced by sexual touching, which can carry up to five years in prison. The 20 indecent assault charges cover alleged conduct before 2018, while the two sexual touching charges cover alleged conduct after that change.

Jones's defence lawyer, Gabrielle Bashir SC, used her opening statement to challenge where the complaints came from. She argued that the alleged victims were pushed to complain by people in the media who were rivals of Jones. She named radio host Ray Hadley and Sydney Morning Herald columnist Peter FitzSimons. Bashir said FitzSimons strongly disliked Jones, encouraged the complainants to come forward, and gave information to Sydney Morning Herald reporter Kate McClymont.

This defence strategy tries to place the complaints in the context of competition in Australian media, rather than as allegations that came about on their own. Whether Judge Walsh believes the evidence supports that view will be a key question in the coming months.

The broader context here is the size of the trial. A four-month case with 76 witnesses and six complainants is one of the larger criminal trials held in a local court in New South Wales. Jones chose a judge-alone trial, which means there is no jury. Instead of 12 ordinary citizens deciding the verdict, one judge weighs all the evidence. This can make complex cases with multiple complainants run more smoothly, but it also means one person alone judges whether each witness is believable. The defence's choice to name specific journalists in its opening statement suggests they may need to question not only the complainants but also media figures, which could widen what the trial covers beyond the six complainants' direct claims.

Jones built a decades-long career as a powerful voice on Sydney talkback radio at stations 2UE and 2GB, and he previously coached the Australian national rugby team. The trial continues.