Anand Jon gets 59 years jail

Celebrity fashion designer Anand Jon Alexander was sentenced to 59 years to life in prison for sexually assaulting seven young...

Celebrity fashion designer Anand Jon Alexander was sentenced to 59 years to life in prison for sexually assaulting seven young women and girls he enticed with the promise of modeling jobs.

Jon presented an argument asking for a new trial because of juror and prosecutorial misconduct. He also alleged inadequate defence by former attorneys. Judge David Wesley denied the request. Jon stared ahead blankly as Wesley handed down the sentence. The victims,seated in the jury box during sentencing,wept.

Jon,who was a guest designer on the reality television show Americas Next Top Model,was convicted last November of 16 charges of rape,sexual assault and other crimes. Wesley handed down the maximum sentence to Jon for all but two of those counts,saying he showed no remorse for his actions and posed a danger to other young women.

Jons use of violence and cruelty in his assaults and his manipulation of young women also added to the seriousness of his crime,Wesley said.

You have not convinced me that theres a conspiracy,all right? Wesley said when Jon continued arguing after his motion had been denied.

Deputy District Attorney Frances Young said the sentence was appropriate given the aggravated nature of the crimes and the horrible torment on a number of victims.

Before his arrest in 2007,Jon was lauded as an up-and-coming star in the fashion world,designing clothes for celebrities such as Paris Hilton and Mary J Blige. He was named a person to watch by Newsweek just two months before his arrest.

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A grand jury initially indicted Jon on 59 counts. By the time of the trial,prosecutors had dropped more than half of them. Jurors acquitted Jon of four counts and deadlocked on three others.

Jon faces similar charges in New York and Texas. Should he be convicted in other states,whatever sentence he receives would be added to the time his California sentence. LATIMES

SAD INCIDENT,SAYS VAYALAR

NEW DELHI: Minister for Overseas Indian Affairs Vayalar Ravi,who had taken up Anand Jons case and tried to persuade the External Affairs Ministry to intervene,has said that the verdict was sad.

It is a sad incident8230; hope that the higher court will have a look at the case, he told The Indian Express.

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The minister said he had always suspected that something was amiss in the way cases came up against Jon. The same people went to three states and filed cases. One gets a feeling8230; there is some mischief somewhere, he said. ENS

VICTIM OF RACISM,CLAIMS SISTER

NEW DELHI: Alleging that Anand Jon was a victim of complete racism and bias in the US court,his family said he was not given a fair trial. Anand is a victim of complete racism and bias in the court8230; Being an Indian,being a brown,I think we are just guilty by colour out there today, his sister Sanjana Jon said. PTI