Alan Jones hit with nine new charges of indecent assault

Former broadcaster Alan Jones has been charged with nine more counts of indecent assault, adding to the already dozens of allegations against him spanning nearly two decades.

Court records show Jones was charged with the new offences on Monday, bringing the total number of counts to 44.

Following his arrest at his luxury harbourside apartment in Circular Quay late last year, the 84-year-old pleaded not guilty to the raft of indecent assault and sexual touching charges against 11 alleged victims aged 17 and over, allegedly committed between 2001 and 2019.

Jones initially faced 26 charges. Eight more were laid before his first court appearance in December, one more was pressed against him in March, and nine more were laid this week.

The allegations across the dozens of counts include fondling penises, stroking thighs, squeezing bottoms, kissing “using his tongue”, pulling a man’s scrotum and masturbating during one alleged indecent assault, court documents earlier seen by this masthead outlined.

Jones is accused of committing the crimes at his former Newtown home, his harbourside apartment, his farm at Fitzroy Falls in the Southern Highlands, Tamworth in northern NSW and other Sydney spots.

He had a mix of personal and professional relationships with his complainants, police have said, and some were allegedly abused upon meeting him.

Jones was set to face the local court on Thursday over the 35 earlier charges. He will now also face a first appearance on the fresh allegations.

At his last appearance in July, Jones’ high-profile lawyer Bryan Wrench said he held “grave concerns” about how police searched his client’s phone when he was arrested in November.

Wrench told the court NSW Police claimed to be working tirelessly, “but they seem to be a bit puffed out”, and successfully asked for an extension of the charge certification so that the search matter could be resolved.

After his first court appearance in December, Jones stood outside court and told journalists he was “certainly not guilty” and would “be presenting my account to a jury”.

“These allegations are all either baseless, or they distort the truth, and you should know that prior to my arrest, I was given no opportunity by police to answer these allegations,” he told media at the time.

When his case was briefly heard in May, Wrench said the defence had received a number of statements within the brief of evidence that his team felt were “blatantly contradictory to some of the allegations”, and it was a matter for the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) “to consider whether this matter will be proceeding”.

“Some of the witnesses said they had never seen Mr Jones engage in any sexually inappropriate behaviour at all,” he said, and had earlier told the court his client “looks forward to clearing his name”.

Strike Force Bonnefin was established to investigate the former teacher and Wallabies coach following a major investigation by The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age which revealed allegations that Jones used his position of power to prey on a number of young men.

Jones announced his retirement from radio station 2GB in May 2020.

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