USA: Indian-born fashion designer Anand Jon Alexander pleads not guilty to rape charges in Beverly Hills

Prosecutors filed 13 new criminal charges today against celebrity fashion designer Anand Jon Alexander who is accused of sexually assaulting a string of female victims ranging in age from 14 to 23. Alexander, 33, is now charged with a total of 32 criminal counts. One previous misdemeanour charge was dismissed. He pleaded not guilty to the charges and is scheduled to return to Beverly Hills Superior Court for a pretrial hearing June 12. Alexander is now charged with 27 felonies and five misdemeanours, including forcible rape, lewd act upon a child, forcible oral copulation, sexual penetration by a foreign object, sexual exploitation of a child, sexual battery and assault with intent to commit a felony. On March 19, prosecutors added 13 charges involving four more alleged victims. The charges added today involve five more alleged victims, bringing the total to 12. All of the victims are young models, according to prosecutors. Defense attorney Ronald Richard disputed the flood of alleged victims, questioning why they haven't come forward until now. "It's expected when you publicise a defendant, it's expected that people will come out of the woodwork, that's just a normal phenomenon when you're dealing with people that have a predisposition to seek fame to begin with," said Richard. The criminal complaints allege that the crimes occurred between November 2002 and February 28, 2007. If convicted of all counts, Alexander could face up to life in prison. Alexander is free on 1.3 million U.S. dollars (USD) bail. Prosecutors asked that his bail be increased to 3 million USD, but Judge Elden Fox rejected the request. Fox ordered, however, that Alexander not be left alone with any women aged 30 or younger. Alexander will likely be accompanied to work by his mother, and models will have to sign a legal document stating they were not left alone with the designer. Alexander was also ordered to submit to a DNA test. According to Richards, until the next court hearing Alexander will be living in New York with his sister Sanjana Jon, who maintains that her brother is innocent. "We know he's innocent, we are completely standing with him, and we know he will come out," said Sanjana Jon, "God is with us." According to the Anand Jon's Web site, he is the winner of various fashion awards, including a 2002 People's Choice ``Best New Designer'' award and a 2002-2003 Fashion Week of the Americas "International New Star'' designer award. He was a profiled designer on "America's Next Top Model'' in 2003. Newsweek recently described him as a "party boy in Miami in the 1990s... who as a Parsons-trained designer launched his first line at New York Fashion Week in 1999 and has gone on to dress the likes of Paris Hilton.''

ITN Source | April 5, 2007

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