NEWS

Designer Anand Jon hit with 13 new charges

By Sheeraz Hasan in Los Angeles
March 20, 2007 08:44 IST

Indian fashion designer Anand Jon Alexander, who was arrested on March 6, to be later charged with multiple counts of rape and sexual assault involving three alleged victims, was hit with 13 new charges during his March 19 arraignment.

Wearing an orange jumpsuit as he stood in a Beverly Hills courtroom, Alexander expressed no emotion as a Los Angeles District Attorney listed the new charges, including forcible oral copulation, sexual penetration by a foreign object, sexual exploitation of a child, sexual battery and assault with intent to commit a felony.

Members of Alexander's family wept uncontrollably in court as the new charges were read.

In all, 15 of the charges are felonies and five are misdemeanors.

Alexander, 33, was originally charged March 13 with seven counts, including forcible rape, lewd act upon a child, contributing to the delinquency of a minor, sexual battery by restraint and attempted forcible oral copulation.

Jon's attorney, Ronald Richards, told the Los Angeles Times soon after the arrest that the allegations were fabricated by models who were looking to get even with Alexander for not hiring them.

'These girls fly in for model jobs after months of dialogue filled with flirtation, they have sexual interaction and if he doesn't put them in the show... then sometime later they claim they had unwanted sex,' he said.

Sheeraz Husain is the founder of www.hollywood.tv.

Sheeraz Hasan in Los Angeles

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