<div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Outspoken radio host and former teacher Alan Jones has pleaded not guilty to dozens of sexual abuse charges after several charges against him were withdrawn.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The 84-year-old had been accused of historical sex offences against 11 people - the youngest of whom was 17 at the time - over two decades when he dominated Sydney's airwaves.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>He was facing a total of 35 charges of sexual abuse before prosecutors added charges against him earlier this week.</span></div></div><div><div id="adspot-mobile-medium"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/donald-trump-uk-visit-king-charles-iii-prepares-to-welcome-trump-windsor-castle/3fc8ad29-f31f-4424-9b29-6c6fbd5fe706" target="_blank"><strong><span>Trump fixated on 'so healthy, so beautiful' host</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>But the landscape of the case changed again today when prosecutors withdrew more than a dozen charges and amended remaining counts in the Downing Centre Local Court.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Jones now faces 25 charges of indecent assault and two of sexual touching against nine alleged victims.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Prosecutors did not explain in court why the charges related to two victims are no longer being pursued.</span></div></div><div><div class="OUTBRAIN" data-reactroot="" data-src="//www.9news.com.au/national/alan-jones-some-sex-abuse-charges-withdrawn/8046d7af-2d7e-4552-a150-790f3bf8e665" data-widget-id="AR_5"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/jimmy-kimmel-show-pulled-offair-indefinitely-after-charlie-kirk-remarks/2d96c5ce-aa33-4e98-9406-1e9b48a30e0f" target="_blank"><strong><span>Jimmy Kimmel yanked off air over Charlie Kirk comments</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The move removed any allegations of aggravated conduct or that any of the alleged victims were under Jones' authority at the time of the alleged abuse, Jones's lawyer told the court.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"They are not fresh allegations," Bryan Wrench said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"It is a downgrade."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/charlie-kirk-shooting-updates-tyler-robinson-feared-being-shot-at-home-turned-himself-in-sheriff-says/03643245-9275-4229-9d35-fe216f769dae" target="_blank"><strong><span>Sheriff reveals why Charlie Kirk suspect turned himself in</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Jones formally pleaded not guilty to all the charges through Wrench, with the matter set to proceed to a local court hearing in 2026.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Wrench accused the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions of doing a "backflip" on the decision to take the matter to trial, which his client had been preparing for since "day dot".</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>He estimated the court hearing could run for up to five months, in part due to extensive unresolved pre-trial issues.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/usa-jeffrey-epstein-files-kash-patel-fbi/1d498445-f6fa-4410-a280-d732fb60b25a" target="_blank"><strong><span>The Epstein files question the FBI Director refused to answer nine times</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"We raised a number of issues with the illegality of the search (of my client's house), illegality of telephone intercepts, as well as disclosure, which still have not been resolved," Wrench said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Crown solicitor Emma Curran estimated the hearing would run for six weeks, but she was hopeful the duration could be reduced with discussions.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Deputy Chief Magistrate Sharon Freund noted such a lengthy hearing would add a "massive strain on the already stretched resources of this court".</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>She adjourned the matter for eight weeks to allow the parties to negotiate over the pre-trial issues.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>A hearing date is due to be set on November 11.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Jones was arrested in November after an eight-month police investigation into a number of alleged indecent assaults and sexual touching incidents between 2001 and 2019.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>At his first court appearance in December, he declared the allegations are "all either baseless or they distort the truth".</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The charges followed a hugely influential broadcasting career launched in 1985.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Jones became a feared interviewer who excelled at questioning leaders while dividing audiences with his outspoken views.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>He worked with Sydney radio station 2UE before joining rival 2GB, where he was a long-time ratings juggernaut until 2020.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Alongside failed tilts at politics, he also coached the Australian national men's rugby union team through some historic achievements between 1984 and 1988.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>Support is available from the</span></strong><span> </span><strong><span>National Sexual Assault, Domestic and Family Violence Counselling Service</span></strong><span> </span><strong><span>at</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.1800respect.org.au/" title="https://www.1800respect.org.au/"><strong><span>1800RESPECT (1800 737 732)</span></strong></a><strong><span>.</span></strong></div></div>