Celebrity Indian-American fashion designer Anand Jon Alexander was today sentenced to a minimum of 59 years in prison by a court here for preying upon seven young aspiring models as young as 14 and sexually assaulting them.
Rejecting Jon’s motions for a fresh trial, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge David Wesley announced the judgement, saying there were no new grounds for granting such a motion.
35-year-old Jon, who was acting as his own attorney, showed no reaction as the judge said he should be incarcerated as long as possible for preying upon young girls and women.
Jon stared ahead blankly as Judge Wesley handed down the hefty sentence and his victims wept in the jury box.
He was convicted in November of 16 counts including including rape, sexual battery and performing lewd acts on a child. Jon was found not guilty of four felonies, and jurors could not reach a verdict on three counts.
“Jon has showed no remorse for his actions,” Wesley said. Jon also faces similar charges in New York and Texas where he has been indicted.
Judge Wesley said Jon must serve 14 years in State prison — before he begins to serve a 45-year-to-life sentence. He was denied bail while he prepares his appeal.
Soon thereafter Jon was immediately remanded to the custody of the State Department of Corrections.
The designer has been featured on the television show America’s Next Top Model and worked with such celebrities as
Paris Hilton and Mary J Blige.
Earlier, Jon used most part of his defence to attack juror Alvin Dymally, who had reached out to his sister Sanjana, in an apparent attempt to woo her or to offer his assistance in influencing jury deliberations in his favour.
Jon called Dymally a “poisoned apple” and a “renegade, runaway juror” who possibly wrecked his chances for freedom.
He also blasted investigators, saying they had done a poor job and did not provide all the evidence to him.
Kerala-born Jon presented a lengthy argument saying he should get a new trial because of juror and prosecutorial misconduct, and inadequate defence by his former attorneys.
At one point in the case, Jon called his mother Shashi Abraham to the stand. Appearing as a witness, she told the
court how Dymally had made casual; passing contact with her during the trial at one point reassuring her that Jon was
innocent and he would be set free.
“Under Young’s cross-examination, Abraham said she did not alert authorities early on about the contact because she
was afraid,” reported Steven Mikulan on LA Weekly Blog, who was present inside the court proceedings.
Mikulan wrote Jon’s speeches, except for one detour into tears, were delivered in a loud, clear voice.
“I’m not perfect, but I’m not guilty,” Jon, who was dressed in a dark suite with his long black hair tied in a ponytail, was quoted as saying.
A bevy of beautiful women who said Jon sexually assaulted them filled the jury box. Some of them cried as the sentence was read by the judge.
Source: PTI
