Anand Jon
Encyclopedia
Anand Jon Alexander know simply as Anand Jon; is a fashion designer who appeared on America's Next Top Model
and rose to fame in the fashion industry prior to being indited and convicted of multiple counts of sex crimes against aspiring models.
, India
and came to the U.S. to study at the Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale and later at Parsons The New School for Design
. He sold collections at a variety of stores including Bergdorf Goodman
in New York City
, Wilkes Bashford
in San Francisco, and Luisa Via Roma in Florence, Italy. His clothes had been modeled by and designed for celebrities like Paris Hilton
, Rosario Dawson
, Laurence Fishburne
, Gina Torres
, Oprah Winfrey
, and Janet Jackson
. His style was primarily known for its specific detail and India
n influence.
on rape
and related charges, based on the allegation
s of numerous aspiring models, including committing lewd conduct upon a minor
. Later, the prosecutor
added 15 additional felony
counts as the investigation expanded. Jon was required to surrender his passport
to authorities and was not allowed to leave the U.S. He pleaded not guilty to all charges. His defense was that the women and children were bitter because he did not hire them.
On November 13, 2008, Jon was convicted of 16 out of 23 counts of sexual abuse
; charges included the forcible rape of seven women and girls, aged 14 to 21. He was also convicted of production and possession of child pornography
. He was initially scheduled to be sentenced on January 13, 2009. Because the case involved special circumstances against multiple victims, a mandatory life sentence was required by law. As a result, Jon would not be eligible for parole until the year 2075, when he would be over 100 years old.
In July 2009, a judge denied Jon's request for a new trial. Jon then fired his high profile attorneys in the days leading up to his sentencing. He petitioned for and was granted permission to represent himself for the sentencing phase of the proceedings. Sentencing ultimately was delayed for eight months because of proceedings regarding a juror who contacted Jon's sister.
On August 31, 2009, Jon was sentenced to 59 years to life. In the near future, he is expected to be extradited
to New York City, where prosecutors will charge him with more than 40 counts, including first-degree forcible rape and rape of a minor, involving 12 additional women and children. Jon also faces pending charges in Texas
and Massachusetts
.
ian and playback singer
, K.J. Yesudas. He has a sister, Sanjana Jon, who has actively campaigned for his acquittal
.
America's Next Top Model
America's Next Top Model is a reality television show in which a number of women compete for the title of America's Next Top Model and a chance to start their career in the modeling industry....
and rose to fame in the fashion industry prior to being indited and convicted of multiple counts of sex crimes against aspiring models.
Career
Jon was born in KeralaKerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
and came to the U.S. to study at the Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale and later at Parsons The New School for Design
Parsons The New School for Design
Parsons The New School For Design, known colloquially as Parsons, is the art and design college of The New School university. It is located in New York City's Greenwich Village, and has produced artists and designers such as Marc Jacobs, Dean and Dan Caten, Norman Rockwell, Donna Karan, Jane...
. He sold collections at a variety of stores including Bergdorf Goodman
Bergdorf Goodman
Bergdorf Goodman is a luxury goods department store based on Fifth Avenue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City. The company was founded in 1899 by Herman Bergdorf and was later owned and managed by Edwin Goodman, and later his son Andrew Goodman....
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, Wilkes Bashford
Wilkes Bashford
Wilkes Bashford is an upscale store for women and men in the Union Square Shopping District in San Francisco, California.It was established in 1966 by Wilkes Bashford and has long catered to the elite, including former San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown....
in San Francisco, and Luisa Via Roma in Florence, Italy. His clothes had been modeled by and designed for celebrities like Paris Hilton
Paris Hilton
Paris Whitney Hilton is an American businesswoman, heiress, and socialite. She is a great-granddaughter of Conrad Hilton . Hilton is known for her controversial participation in a sex tape in 2003, and appearance on the television series The Simple Life alongside fellow socialite and childhood...
, Rosario Dawson
Rosario Dawson
Rosario Isabel Dawson is an American actress, singer, and writer. She has appeared in films such as Kids, Men in Black II, 25th Hour, Sin City, Clerks II, Rent, Death Proof, The Rundown, Eagle Eye, Alexander, Seven Pounds, Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief and Unstoppable.-Early...
, Laurence Fishburne
Laurence Fishburne
Laurence John Fishburne III is an American film and stage actor, playwright, director, and producer. He is perhaps best known for his roles as Morpheus in the Matrix science fiction film trilogy, as Cowboy Curtis on the 1980's television show Pee-wee's Playhouse, and as singer-musician Ike Turner...
, Gina Torres
Gina Torres
Gina Torres is an American television and movie actress. She is known for her roles in science fiction and fantasy. She has appeared in many television series, including Hercules: The Legendary Journeys , Xena: Warrior Princess , the short-lived Cleopatra 2525, as well as Alias , Firefly Gina...
, Oprah Winfrey
Oprah Winfrey
Oprah Winfrey is an American media proprietor, talk show host, actress, producer and philanthropist. Winfrey is best known for her self-titled, multi-award-winning talk show, which has become the highest-rated program of its kind in history and was nationally syndicated from 1986 to 2011...
, and Janet Jackson
Janet Jackson
Janet Damita Jo Jackson is an American recording artist and actress. Known for a series of sonically innovative, socially conscious and sexually provocative records, as well as elaborate stage shows, television and film roles, she has been a prominent figure in popular culture for over 25 years...
. His style was primarily known for its specific detail and India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n influence.
Arrest and conviction
Jon was arrested in March 2007 in Beverly Hills, CaliforniaBeverly Hills, California
Beverly Hills is an affluent city located in Los Angeles County, California, United States. With a population of 34,109 at the 2010 census, up from 33,784 as of the 2000 census, it is home to numerous Hollywood celebrities. Beverly Hills and the neighboring city of West Hollywood are together...
on rape
Rape
Rape is a type of sexual assault usually involving sexual intercourse, which is initiated by one or more persons against another person without that person's consent. The act may be carried out by physical force, coercion, abuse of authority or with a person who is incapable of valid consent. The...
and related charges, based on the allegation
Allegation
An allegation is a claim of a fact by a party in a pleading, which the party claims to be able to prove. Allegations remain assertions without proof, until they can be proved....
s of numerous aspiring models, including committing lewd conduct upon a minor
Minor (law)
In law, a minor is a person under a certain age — the age of majority — which legally demarcates childhood from adulthood; the age depends upon jurisdiction and application, but is typically 18...
. Later, the prosecutor
Prosecutor
The prosecutor is the chief legal representative of the prosecution in countries with either the common law adversarial system, or the civil law inquisitorial system...
added 15 additional felony
Felony
A felony is a serious crime in the common law countries. The term originates from English common law where felonies were originally crimes which involved the confiscation of a convicted person's land and goods; other crimes were called misdemeanors...
counts as the investigation expanded. Jon was required to surrender his passport
Passport
A passport is a document, issued by a national government, which certifies, for the purpose of international travel, the identity and nationality of its holder. The elements of identity are name, date of birth, sex, and place of birth....
to authorities and was not allowed to leave the U.S. He pleaded not guilty to all charges. His defense was that the women and children were bitter because he did not hire them.
On November 13, 2008, Jon was convicted of 16 out of 23 counts of sexual abuse
Sexual abuse
Sexual abuse, also referred to as molestation, is the forcing of undesired sexual behavior by one person upon another. When that force is immediate, of short duration, or infrequent, it is called sexual assault. The offender is referred to as a sexual abuser or molester...
; charges included the forcible rape of seven women and girls, aged 14 to 21. He was also convicted of production and possession of child pornography
Child pornography
Child pornography refers to images or films and, in some cases, writings depicting sexually explicit activities involving a child...
. He was initially scheduled to be sentenced on January 13, 2009. Because the case involved special circumstances against multiple victims, a mandatory life sentence was required by law. As a result, Jon would not be eligible for parole until the year 2075, when he would be over 100 years old.
In July 2009, a judge denied Jon's request for a new trial. Jon then fired his high profile attorneys in the days leading up to his sentencing. He petitioned for and was granted permission to represent himself for the sentencing phase of the proceedings. Sentencing ultimately was delayed for eight months because of proceedings regarding a juror who contacted Jon's sister.
On August 31, 2009, Jon was sentenced to 59 years to life. In the near future, he is expected to be extradited
Extradition
Extradition is the official process whereby one nation or state surrenders a suspected or convicted criminal to another nation or state. Between nation states, extradition is regulated by treaties...
to New York City, where prosecutors will charge him with more than 40 counts, including first-degree forcible rape and rape of a minor, involving 12 additional women and children. Jon also faces pending charges in Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
and Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
.
Personal life
Jon is a nephew of renowned Indian classical musicClassical music
Classical music is the art music produced in, or rooted in, the traditions of Western liturgical and secular music, encompassing a broad period from roughly the 11th century to present times...
ian and playback singer
Playback singer
A playback singer is a singer whose singing is prerecorded for use in movies. Playback singers record songs for soundtracks, and actors or actresses lip-sync the songs for cameras, while the actual singer does not appear on screen.-South Asia:...
, K.J. Yesudas. He has a sister, Sanjana Jon, who has actively campaigned for his acquittal
Acquittal
In the common law tradition, an acquittal formally certifies the accused is free from the charge of an offense, as far as the criminal law is concerned. This is so even where the prosecution is abandoned nolle prosequi...
.
External links
- Anand Alexander's entry at California Sex Offender Registry