Accusations of sexual abuse against the best degraded Australian radio hosts

Prosecutors downgraded some of the most serious accusations of sexual abuse against the veteran broader and former coach of Wallabies, Alan Jones, after a court hearing on Thursday.

Mr. Jones is now faced with 27 accusations that allege that he has attacked indecently or groping nine men for two decades.

Eleven accusations of aggravated indecent assault – deemed more serious because they were reportedly linked to people under his authority – were demoted on Thursday. Some charges have also been completely lowered.

The 84 -year -old influential media figure denied all the accusations and the case – which will now be heard before a magistrate, not a jury – will return to court next month.

Deputy chief magistrate Sharon Freund said there had been a reform of the case after two alleged victims withdrew, although there was no explanation on the reason why they were no longer part of the case.

Mr. Jones is now faced with 25 indecent assault counts and two sexual touches charges.

His lawyer Bryan Wren told court that the abandoned accusations were a “very great development” and a “important concession”, according to reports by Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

“There is no suggestion according to which … he had these complainants in his authority. He had no power over these complainants,” said Wrch.

Previously, police said that some of the alleged victims knew the radio Titan personally and that at least one had been employed by him.

Others have been assaulted the first time they met him, the NSW Michael Fitzgerald police told the end of last year.

Addressing journalists outside the court in December, Jones told journalists that allegations were either “baseless” or “distorting the truth”.

Former teacher, Mr. Jones led to the Australian national rugby team between 1984 and 1988, before moving on to a radio career.

He also sometimes worked as editor and advisor for personalities from the Liberal Party – including former Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser – and launched several failed offers to represent the party in state and federal policy.

A must -have in Sydney waves on the 2 GB local station for decades, Mr. Jones juggled these tasks with television comments before retiring from full -time work in 2020, citing health problems.

The diffuser is a polarizing figure, for years with one of the largest public in the country but often running controversy.

He made the front page of the newspapers in 2012 for suggesting that the father of the minister at the time, Julia Gillard, was “died of shame”, and in 2019 faced a boycott of the massive advertiser after saying that someone should “push a sock” in the throat of New Zealand chief at the time, Jacinda Ardern.

Mr. Jones has also been successfully continued on several occasions for defamation.