Former radio broadcaster Alan Jones, 85, is standing trial in Sydney’s Downing Centre Local Court on 22 counts of indecent assault and sexual touching. The proceedings, which began August 3, 2026, involve six male complainants alleging a pattern of predatory behavior occurring between 2003 and 2020 across Sydney and the NSW Southern Highlands.
The trial of the former 2GB host and Wallabies coach is being heard by Judge Glenn Walsh in a closed court to protect the identities of the victims. Jones has pleaded not guilty to all charges, including 20 counts of indecent assault and two counts of sexual touching without consent. The prosecution case, led by Georgina Wright, SC, suggests a pattern of targeting significantly younger men within Jones’s professional and social circles.
Allegations of Financial Control and ‘Easy Access’
Much of the initial testimony has centered on Complainant J, a former athletics champion who met Jones as a teenager. The court heard that Jones praised the young man’s sporting prowess and provided a mobile phone and a car.
Complainant J testified that these financial gifts created a power imbalance that left him feeling trapped. He told the court he feared he would lose everything
if he spoke out against the influential broadcaster. This dynamic allegedly preceded a series of assaults, including an incident where Jones reportedly squeezed the man’s genitals while driving to the Southern Highlands, causing the vehicle to veer off the road.
The testimony detailed a specific encounter at Jones’s Fitzroy Falls farm in 2004. After sharing wine, Jones allegedly told the 17-year-old that there’s only one rule here … there are no rules
and ordered him to shower and return wearing a robe and nothing else. The complainant told the court he wore underwear under the robe because he suspected Jones wanted easy access
to touch him.
“I was completely frozen.”
Complainant J, via ABC News
Further allegations regarding this visit include an incident where the two allegedly masturbated simultaneously on a bed. Complainant J testified that he did so because he thought it was the quickest way to get it over and done with
.
The Defence Strategy: Media Rivalry and ‘Contamination’
The defence, led by Gabrielle Bashir, SC, has mounted a counter-offensive claiming the allegations are the product of professional vendettas rather than organic disclosures. Bashir told the court that rivalry, treachery, and opportunism are at the heart of the case.
The defence specifically alleges that media rivals, including Ray Hadley and Peter FitzSimons, encouraged the complainants to formulate their claims. Bashir suggested that the police investigation—conducted by Strike Force Bonnefin in 2024—was influenced by reporting from the Sydney Morning Herald and The Age, leading to a high possibility of contamination or reconstruction
of the evidence.
Jones has remained steadfast in his denial.
Legal Stakes and Courtroom Proceedings
The trial is being conducted as a judge-alone proceeding in the Local Court, a choice made by the defence and agreed to by the prosecution.
The complexity of the trial is reflected in the volume of evidence and witnesses. The court expects to hear from more than 70 witnesses over a period that could last several weeks. To protect the privacy of the six complainants, the courtroom remains closed to the general public, and audio-visual streams are cut when victims provide evidence.
The proceedings will now focus on testing the credibility of the remaining six complainants—down from an initial eleven—and determining whether the alleged assaults occurred or, as the defence claims, were concocted through the influence of Jones’s professional enemies.
