CW: sexual assault
Former talkback radio host and Wallabies coach Alan Jones has faced the first day of his trial for 20 counts of indecent assault and two counts of sexual touching.
In 2024, Jones was arrested and charged over the offences, alleged by six men to have occurred between 2003 and 2020.
The 85-year-old has denied all allegations and pleaded not guilty.
Here's what you need to know.
Jones
Jones was once one of the most powerful figures in Australian media.
He was a teacher and sports coach in Brisbane and Sydney, as well as a speechwriter for former Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser.
In the mid-1980s, he coached the Wallabies.
Jones became a radio host on Sydney talkback radio stations 2UE and later 2GB.
He regularly wrote opinion columns for News Corp's newspapers and had a dedicated program on Sky News until 2021.
Jones consistently made headlines for controversial comments on and off-air, particularly when Julia Gillard was Prime Minister.
Across two occasions in 2011, he said Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore and former Greens leader Bob Brown should be put in a bag and thrown out to sea.
The next year, Jones apologised after comments made to a group of Young Liberals that Gillard's father “died of shame” were leaked.
Macquarie Radio Network told staff they estimated a loss of up to $1.5 million from this incident.
Charges
In 2023, the Sydney Morning Herald (SMH) published an investigation into Jones.
Journalist Kate McClymont investigated allegations against Jones, including that he “used his position of power to prey on a number of young men,” such as a former 2GB employee.
The ex-employee alleged Jones groped and forcibly kissed him when he was a junior staffer.
Police arrested and charged Jones.
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He now faces 22 charges.
In 2018, ‘indecent assault’ was removed from NSW's Crimes Act.
The equivalent charge is now sexual touching.
Jones faces 20 charges of indecent assault from before 2018, and two charges of sexual touching from after then.
The charges from incidents before 2018 will be tried in line with the law at the time.
By either name, the charges Jones faces are different to sexual assault, which is broader, and includes acts like rape and coercion.
Indecent assault/sexual touching carries a maximum penalty of five years’ imprisonment.
Trial
On Monday, Jones faced the first day of his judge-only trial (no jury).
The trial is expected to run for four months, with testimony from 76 witnesses.
The court has heard multiple complainants were teenagers when they met Jones, and some worked for him at 2GB.
Jones has always denied the allegations and is pleading not guilty to the charges.
Victims
On the first day of the trial, one alleged victim, known as Complainant J, told the court he met Jones when he was 14 or 15, and alleged the offending began in 2003 when he was 17.
J alleged Jones gave him $400-600 per week, a phone, and a car.
J said Jones allegedly kissed him on the mouth without consent on multiple occasions and indecently assaulted him.
J's allegations make up nine of the 22 charges.
The remaining complainants will be heard later in the case.
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