Anand Jon
Anand Jon, fashion designer to the stars, will be sentenced today in LA on charges of sexually assaulting several young models from ages 14-21.
The designer, 35 who was convicted in November of 14 counts of forcible rape after being arrested in 2007, counted Paris Hilton and Michelle Rodriguez as friends, and designed for the likes of Mary J Blige, and Janet Jackson.
The prosecution in the trial had said that Alexander ( who is known as Anand John), hyped his status as a designer to attract young aspiring models to his place in Beverly Hills, CA.
Where he would often surf the Internet looking for his potential victims. With the promise of a photo shoot he would lure them to his residence then attack them.
The Huffington Post reported that Jon may face 3 terms of 53 years and six months to life in prison, and at the court hearing some of his young victims also spoke about the ordeal.
His defence team are claiming that the women are begrudged because they didn’t get modelling jobs, and are seeking revenge against the Indian born designer.
His sister Sanjana has even wet up a support website for Alexander, saying that it is a case of racial profiling on the AnandJon.com website.
She says on the website, “Being an Indian in the US, I know that we won’t get justice,” she also pleads with the Indian government to assist and has even vowed to go on a hunger strike.
The same sister has also due to for a hearing in September for accepting notes and calls from one of the jurors for the trial who has also now been kicked off.
He has also been indicted in New York on more charges stemming from nine other women.