Anand Jon Convicted on 16 Counts
Designer Anand Jon was convicted on Nov. 13 of rape and multiple counts of sexual assault involving seven female victims ranging in age from 14 to 21.
Sentencing will be determined in January.
A six-man, six-woman Los Angeles Superior Court jury deliberated for five days before finding the 34-year-old designer guilty of 14 felony and two misdemeanor counts. The jury acquitted Jon of four counts of sexual assault and was deadlocked on three other counts, including one count of rape. Judge David Wesley declared a mistrial on those three counts.
The jury found Jon guilty of one count of rape, two counts of sexual penetration by a foreign object, one count of using a minor for sexual acts, seven counts of lewd act on a child, two counts of sexual battery, one count of attempted oral copulation, one count of possession of child pornography and one count of contributing to the delinquency of a minor.
Prosecutors Frances Young and Mara McIlvain of the District Attorney’s sex-crimes division said they were pleased with the jury’s verdict and praised the young victims who testified. “This verdict is for them,” Young said outside the courtroom.
According to testimony, the assaults occurred between 2001 and 2007. Prosecutors argued that Jon exploited his position as an up-and-coming designer and used his business to lure models to work for him in Los Angeles. He contacted many of them over the Internet via Web communities such as MySpace.
He was arrested in March 2007 on the eve of his debut at Los Angeles Fashion Week when one of his victims reported that she was assaulted by Jon at his Beverly Hills apartment.
He faces life in prison when is he sentenced Jan. 13. He is currently being held without bail because he is under indictment in New York and Texas. His attorneys said they plan to appeal the case. —Robert McAllister
