Alan Jones Accuser Says He ‘Froze’ as Indecent Assault Trial Opens
Alan Jones has pleaded not guilty to 22 charges involving six male complainants. A complainant told a Sydney court he froze after an alleged kiss, while the defense called the case a product of rivalry.
Editor's note, Nov. 7, 2026: An earlier version of this article mistakenly published internal working notes instead of a news report. We apologize. This report is based on ABC News coverage of the first day of the trial.
SYDNEY — A man who accuses veteran broadcaster Alan Jones of indecent assault told a Sydney court on Monday that he "froze" after an alleged kiss, on the first day of a trial Jones is contesting on every charge.
Jones, 85, has pleaded not guilty and denies any wrongdoing. After some charges were dropped or reduced in pre-trial hearings, he faces 22 charges relating to six male complainants: 20 counts of assault with an act of indecency and two of sexual touching.
The incidents are alleged to have happened between 2003 and 2020, at his apartment in "The Toaster" on Macquarie Street, at a public event, or at his former property at Fitzroy Falls in the Southern Highlands.
The prosecution case
Barrister Georgina Wright SC opened by describing the alleged offending against Complainant J, who she said met Jones as a teenager and a promising young athlete. She told the court Jones allegedly gave him a mobile phone and paid him $400 a week "to help with his training," later rising to $600.
Giving evidence, Complainant J alleged that Jones gave him a "slight peck on the lips" after a hug at his apartment. "I stood there and I froze," he told the court. He alleged further incidents, including at Fitzroy Falls, and said he told no one because "if I told someone then I lose everything."
Wright said Jones allegedly invited Complainant A, a year 12 student, to Fitzroy Falls and kissed him on the mouth, and that the student wrote to his mother about it the next day. She said several complainants went to police only after reporting journalist Kate McClymont, and that the prosecution will argue Jones knew he did not have consent or was reckless about it.
The defense case
Defense barrister Gabrielle Bashir SC said "rivalry, treachery, double dealing, money, hatred, desperation, opportunism and more" were at the heart of the case. She said Jones had faced a "trial by media" and had protested his innocence from the beginning.
Bashir said the defense will seek to portray Complainant J as having "concocted" his story, and that other complainants were not reliable. She also blamed media rivalries, saying 2GB host Ray Hadley allegedly wanted to spread stories to "destroy" Jones.
The judge-only trial, before Judge Glenn Walsh at the Downing Centre Local Court, is expected to last several weeks and hear from more than 70 witnesses.
