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The veteran broadcaster now faces 25 separate charges of indecent assault and an additional two counts of sexual touching involving nine separate alleged victims, after the prosecution disclosed that two individuals would not be included in the criminal matter.

Judicial Hearings

Jones was expected to make an appearance in the courtroom on that day to face 44 charges of indecent acts against 11 alleged victims aged 17 and above that age. Yet, he was not obliged to appear during the short session at Downing Centre Local Court.

Legal officials heard that 17 of the charges were ultimately dismissed and two individuals were removed from the proceedings.

“We’ve seen a substantial development in Alan Jones’s case,” his lawyer Bryan Wrench stated to the court.

Defense Pleas

The lawyer stated that his client had filed denials on all of the downgraded charges. The case will be heard in a local court before a judicial officer, as opposed to in the district court before a judge and jury.

The defense sought an 8-week delay to address what he called “ongoing” disclosure issues, including reported leaks to the news outlets.

He noted that fresh claims had surfaced on Monday, and media were notified soon after his team was notified by the DPP.

Legal Schedule

The magistrate at first expressed doubt about the length of the proposed postponement but finally agreed to the motion. The case is planned to resume on November 11, with the main hearing expected for the year 2026.

Officials learned that the legal authorities anticipated the hearings would require a month and a half, while the defense indicated it could require several months.

“We’re not set up to deal with a extended trial,” the magistrate stated, stating that the case was a “significant strain on limited resources.”

Context

Jones was originally charged with allegedly committing a range of acts in multiple places across the state between two decades ago and 2019.

Law enforcement established a special task force in early 2024 to look into alleged indecent assaults and physical misconduct events related to the broadcaster.

Jones has in the past disputed all allegations and stated that he was considering legal action against Nine newspapers for what he referred to “baseless” claims.

The defendant last appeared in December of last year, when it was suggested that he would stand a jury trial.

“I am absolutely not guilty, and I’ll be presenting my argument to a jury,” Jones stated at the previous hearing. “It’s important to know … these allegations are all completely unfounded or they misrepresent the truth.”