Designer Anand Jon indicted on 59 charges

New York, Oct 5 (UNI) Indian-American fashion designer Anand Jon has been indicted on 59 charges of sexual assault, media reports here said.

A California judge unsealed the 59 indictment charges against the Indian immigrant designer, who faces the charges involving at least 20 women, including some prospective models, Los Angeles Times reported yesterday.

Jon, initially charged in March, is currently held without bail after his arrest at his Beverly Hills apartment. He pleaded not guilty to the earlier charges.

The victims are between the age group of 14 to 27, according to officials of which Seven are from California. Reportedly the victims were sexually assaulted by him between November 2002 and March 2007.

Jon was stated to have met the women after contacting them through Internet. He would assault them after they met him for inquiring about modeling opportunities, the prosecution stated. He was indicted on September 27 by the Los Angeles County criminal grand jury, according to a statement issued by the county district attorney.

His attorneys claimed some of the women levelled the charges only to seek fame. Jon was ordered to appear in court yesterday when David Westey, the Superior Court judge, ordered him held without bail till a hearing, scheduled for October 25.

Investigation about his activities is also under way in Texas, New York and Massachusetts. If convicted of all the charges, Jon could even face a life sentence.

The 33-year-old designer immigrated to the United States as a teenager along with his sister and mother. He graduated from the Parsons School of Design in New York in 1998 and began designing jewellery and clothing.

He also made his appearence on American TV show, 'America's Next Top Model.'Jon has designed clothes for many celebrities, including Paris Hilton and Janet Jackson and had planned to launch new line of jeans.

UNI