One complainant withdrawn from Alan Jones trial bringing number of alleged victims to five

An indecent assault charge has been dropped against Alan Jones, the 85-year-old broadcaster, amid his lengthy criminal trial. This is the fourth time charges have been dropped or downgraded since 2025. The charge pertains to a reporter who claimed Mr. Jones indecently touched him in public. Three alleged victims have testified so far, with a fourth set to start their evidence Tuesday.

Prosecutors have dropped another indecent assault charge against Jones, reducing the number of complainants during the trial. Mr. Jones, accused of 20 counts of indecent assault and two of sexual touching, pleaded not guilty to the charges involving six men, three of whom have already testified. The dropped charge involved a reporter who alleged Mr. Jones touched his backside at a function in 2012.

The court did not provide a reason for dropping the charge, marking the fourth time charges have been dropped or downgraded since September 2025, when Jones faced 44 counts related to 11 complainants. The trial now involves 21 charges against Jones, all relating to five male complainants with alleged offenses spanning from 2003 to 2020.

Two of the victims, identified as Complainant J and Complainant C, testified about feeling intimidated by Jones's influence and power when he allegedly committed the offenses. The prosecution argued that Jones had a sexual interest in younger men, while his lawyers claim the case is about media rivalry, blaming Jones's 2GB colleague Ray Hadley for orchestrating the complaints to discredit their client.

The fourth complainant, Complainant H, is scheduled to begin testifying on Tuesday. This man, much younger than Jones, alleged that the broadcaster touched him on the back and behind at an event. The prosecution stated that the man initially did not report the incident to the police but reached out to Sydney Morning Herald journalist Kate McClymont when other allegations against Jones were first published in 2023.