In Sydney, retired radio presenter and former national rugby coach, Alan Jones, has refuted all charges against him following his court appearance on Wednesday. He faces multiple allegations of sexual offenses against ten males spanning two decades.
The 83-year-old appeared for the first time at the Downing Center Local Court in Sydney after being arrested last month. Although he was not asked to enter any pleas regarding the 34 counts—including aggravated indecent assault, indecent assault, and common assault—Jones expressed his intention to contest the charges in a jury trial.
Outside the court, Jones stated, “I am certainly not guilty and I’ll be presenting my account to a jury. These allegations are all either baseless or they distort the truth.” He emphatically declared, “I have never indecently assaulted these people, and I’ll be defending every charge.”
Since Jones’s initial charges on November 18, additional alleged victims have come forward. At present, there are 24 offenses related to eight complainants, with victims as young as 17, which police claim occurred between the years of 2001 and 2019.
Jones, who hosted a widely popular morning radio show in Sydney from 2002 until his retirement in 2020, is known to be a significant figure in Australian media. Alongside his radio career, he also served as the head coach of the Wallabies, the national rugby team, leading them from early 1984 for four years and securing 86 victories out of 102 games.
On top of his media and coaching career, Jones has played an influential role in conservative politics, having served as a speechwriter for Malcolm Fraser, who was the Prime Minister from 1975 to 1983 until he passed away in 2015.
During the court session, defense attorney Bryan Wrench informed Judge Michael Allen that his client is eager for a jury trial in the New South Wales District Court to clear his name. Wrench stressed that “there have been many … untruths published by the media and the police in this matter.”
Having been released on bail following his arrest, Jones will not need to appear in court for a brief administrative session scheduled for March 11 of next year.