Veteran broadcaster Alan Jones has one of charges against him dropped

Alan Jones will face one less criminal charge when he stands trial on indecent assault allegations later this year. The withdrawal of the charge reduces the overall number of complainants from nine to eight. What's next? Mr Jones denies all allegations and is due to stand trial in August. Prosecutors have dropped one of the criminal charges against veteran broadcaster Alan Jones less than two months before the start of his trial, reducing the number of complainants in his indecent assault case. The 85-year-old has pleaded not guilty and denies all charges, including 25 counts of indecent assault and two counts of sexual touching which related to nine complainants. His trial is due to be heard in the Local Court from early August. But on Tuesday, a judge in Sydney's Downing Centre was told proceedings in relation to one of the complainants were being withdrawn and dismissed. The charge no longer being pursued was a count of assault with act of indecency. According to court documents, that charge related to an allegation dating back to 2013, when Mr Jones was alleged to have "touched and grabbed the complainant on his bottom during an event". It was the only charge relating to that complainant, which means the withdrawal of that charge reduces the overall number of complainants in the case from nine to eight. The hearing will involve allegations about incidents between 2001 and 2019, all of which Mr Jones denies. Tuesday's development marks the second time there have been significant changes to the layout of the case. In September, 11 counts of aggravated indecent assault were replaced with lesser offences, and the number of complainants was reduced by two. Those changes also meant the proceedings would remain in the Local Court before a magistrate, instead of in the District Court before a jury. Mr Jones's lawyer, Bryan Wrench, described that reconfiguration at the time as a "downgrade".