Alan Jones goes on trial in Australia sexual assault case

Australian broadcaster and former Wallabies coach Alan Jones appeared in a Sydney local court on Monday for the opening day of a trial over sexual assault accusations.

The 85-year-old faces 20 charges of indecent assault and two charges of sexually touching without consent, court records showed. The trial will examine allegations that he indecently assaulted six young men across almost 20 years.

Local media reported that the alleged offences took place between 2003 and 2020. Jones was arrested at his Sydney apartment in 2024.

Jones has strongly denied the charges. He has said he is “certainly not guilty” and that the allegations are “all either baseless or they distort the truth.”

Jones is widely known in Australia for his former conservative radio talk show. He was also a speechwriter for an Australian prime minister and coached the Wallabies from 1984, later entering Australia’s sports hall of fame.