Today, in Los Angeles, Anand Jon was convicted of rape and sexual assault.
A Beverly Hills fashion designer was found guilty today of sexually assaulting seven girls and young women, capping a two-month trial that offered a sordid portrait of the fashion world.
The jury of six men and six women deliberated for seven days before finding Anand Jon Alexander guilty of one count of rape and 15 counts of sexual assault and other charges.
The designer, who goes by the professional name of Anand Jon, sat silently in court wearing a light gray suit and yellow tie as the court clerk announced the jury’s verdicts. Behind him, his sister sobbed as she sat with friends and family in the crowded downtown Los Angeles courtroom. [LAT]
Obviously, the culprit– how I love that especially brown word– saw things differently. A charming snippet of a screen shot from one of his official sites, which clearly explains how Jon sees himself is below:
Some of you may remember Jon from his memorable stint on the blink-tastic reality program America’s Next Not-Quite-Top Model, the show which elevates women (Eva Panni-ford, I’m looking at your unpleasant kundi) who are too short or too old to succeed in the industry to…mediocre heights. On ANnqTM, Anand was an utter douche to fellow Malayalee Julie Ann Titus during season three. But I digress.
Jon, 34, a rising designer who had dressed socialite Paris Hilton and singer Janet Jackson before his arrest last year, faces possible life imprisonment after a Los Angeles Superior Court jury found him guilty on 16 criminal counts.
The crimes involved lewd acts on a child, rape and sexual battery in assaults between 2001 and 2007 against nine would-be models aged between 14 and 21. He was also convicted of possessing child pornography. [Reuters]
Oh, and what pr0n it was. Said an…interesting …post which was sympathetic to the disgraced designer:
Porn troves found on his computers came from commercial sites. The fact that these sites had names like Gag on My Cock and Teens Tits & Ass doesn’t make them illegal kiddie porn Web sites or newsgroups. [LAweekly]
Hmmm. Why does the name of that latter site seem so jarring– OH RIGHT. Because he was convicted of preying on girls who were as young as 14.
Prosecutors said Jon lured girls and women to Los Angeles with the promise they could work as models and then attacked them.
“He humiliated, degraded and took what he wanted from them. He was a predator who took advantage of the weak people around him. He has no criminal sexual borders. If he didn’t use force, he laced their drinks,” prosecutor Frances Young told the jury. [Reuters]
Jon, whose full name is Anand Jon Alexander, denied the charges. His lawyers said the girls and young women were revenge seekers who had made up their stories or who had “invited what happened,” and that there was little physical evidence.[Reuters]
Classy. The old, “she was asking for it”-strategery.
Jon’s high-powered defense team sought to point up inconsistencies in the accounts of his accusers, portraying them as liars engaged in a shadowy plot to bring down the up-and-coming designer.
In their closing arguments, prosecutors conceded that some of the girls were far from “perfect victims” and described the Beverly Hills police investigation as “sloppy.” But they urged jurors to focus on similarities in the testimony of the many alleged victims.
Jon faces a 67-year wait before he is eligible for parole.
Anand Jon is a scumbag. But 67 years is too harsh. I think 25 would be sufficient. However, I have a feeling many of you would disagree.
1 · Seahawks fan said
Tell that to the women he assaulted that are going to live with it for a lifetime.
“Tell that to the women he assaulted that are going to live with it for a lifetime.”
If someone did that to one of my daughters, I’d want to kill him. And that’s what happens in some countries. The victims and their families would naturally want the severest penalty possible. But I prefer a society that gives people an opportunity to redeem themselves. If Anand Jon gets 67 years, he’ll be out when he’s 101. Why not let him out when he’s 60 — if he has rehabilitated himself?
Child sexual abuse-related offenses are more deserving of the death penalty than murder, at least to me.
3 · Seahawks fan said
Imagine how much more rehabilitated he will be at 101, though!
having met him a few times i always thought there was something wrong with him. mentally. not that i thought he was a rapist, but his arrogance was clearly well beyond the normal range. i’m sure friends and family knew something was off. too bad he never got any psychiatric interference.
What blows me away is the number of Indian who persist in defending this scumbag – I’m sure we’ll see some of their comments below. It reminds me of the child-molesting thread in Monsoon Wedding – I talked to so many who “forgot” or ignored that part or the story.
Why is closing our eyes easier than acknowledging what is true? Does something about conservative Indian culture exacerbate this?
It’s shocking…sad….disgusting…scary. i knew Anand and always found him exceedingly arrogant and self-obsessed, but – obviously naively – judged him as relatively harmless. I guess not. Pelican Bay – or the like where he is headed – ain’t no joke. And he’s a lifer, which means no hope ever for all eternity. I mean they don’t even think about you when you are in for that long. Have always wondered as a Brown man how I would handle prison – the white man has skinheads and nazis to align with. Blacks have bloods, crips and many more. Even (East) Asian generally have Yakuza and the like. Indians? God help him because he’s going to need it to survive.
Bloody hell. What a bunch of racists. Even the spam filter password.
Erm.
Yeah.
Don’t mind me, I’m just a loudmouth Aussie. I just caught a news link to “Adnand Jon” and Googled some more and ended up here. Maybe you+me and Gotham Chopra could hook up and I’ll kick BOTH your asses at some back yard cricket?
But you already know this.
That snap from his website reminds me of Zoolander. Only not funny. Ick.
So some of my taxes go to supporting this guy’s ass for at least 67 years? Sounds like a good reason to support: (1) the death sentence for rapists; (2) fast-track execution. You know – “30 days from sentencing, chop chop”.
good!!!! throw his sister in there too…
I know this is not your intention but I think you should revisit the decision to put the screen shot from his website up in that way.
It’s just my opinion but I’m sure tons of people visit here, read that headline and see that pic and then do zero reading of the post itself. It’s unclear. When first opening the site, it appears as if Sepia Mutiny is behind/supporting Anand Jon. One sees the headline and then is immediately drawn visually too the photo and its slogan. I know that’s not true but not everyone will know that.
13 · coach diesel said
Agreed. This is much more appropriate.
Not justifying his actions. But, he did have a pretty abnormal childhood for a malayalee. His parents divorced when he was very small, when divorce was virtually unheard of in Kerala. In his (pre?)teens his mother, with whom he lived, married and was later left by a (extremely rich, but later truned out to be an embezzler) man much younger than she was, who treated Anand with disdain. His mother’s only sister is married to the great singer, Yesudas, had a great life compared to his not so great life growing up. At some level, it is not so surprising he turned out so messed up.
He should have been a sub-prime broker. Or a lobbyist…
M. Nam
15 · flipside said
Lots of people have difficult childhoods. Not every one grows up to be a rapist or criminal because of it. 67 years is an appropriate sentence given the particular charges in question and the number of convicted counts against him.
Doesn’t he still have even more charges pending in Texas and somewhere else?
It’s always been if it ain’t from my family or circle of friends, he s guilty as hell !! Execute him!! Maim him!! He s a piece of shit !!! Never ending rants and cuss words at the man, who is at the epicenter of this case. All of you who is throwing stones from up there, you must know your turn will come up. If you havent been caught in the police or prosecution fish net yet, your family or someone you know or adore could be. At that point, your pleas for help that you ‘re innocent may fall on deaf ears. I have seen too many of such cases. If it ain’t me or my family or friends, he must be fried…
Anand jon had his share of troubles in this world. Too many comments here and everywhere that I ve read about him have made me a believer that he is a terrible guy. An arrogant guy who shot to fame too quickly. As an indian, I feel sorry for him. In America, there is a desire among indians to imitate and prove we fit into their society. Anand jon got caught doing it. Americans will always look at us as though we don’t belong there. It’s the same attitude towards us from whites, blacks or hispanics. You might be born and raised there, yet you re still an outsider. Ask thousands of muslims who fled America after 9/11. How many indian professors and hardworking indian employees are feeling the heat from their white superiors? Point is, if you havent felt the heat and discrimination yet, your turn soon shall come up.
As far as Anand Jon is concerned, he has to make peace with his Maker from hereon until his end to find some peace. His new home will be a far cry from his world of fashion. I could not believe all the venomous statements made by so many about his immoral behavior to his fashion design. Yet, I did not see anyone criticizing him before his arrest. When someone is down, dont kick him anymore. He was in solitary confinement for God’s sake!! If anyone has the guts to speak up, here is the opportunity. Palin has just issued a challenge, on CNN Larry King, to the person who criticized her to do it on her face. I see the gutsy folks lining up to show up at Palin’s door already.
Leave Anand jon alone! His chapter is over! He would be really lucky if he sees sunlight as a free man. I wonder what his mother and sister are going through. I pray for their peace. I need to credit their family for sticking by him. Folks, God loves criminals too. It’s the same God that loves you. Show some compassion. Respect others and let’s stop this name-calling. I pray for everyone in this case including Anand Jon… Peace!!
I assume that most of those hardworking folks have managed not to rape underage girls. Why associate their hard work with Anand Jon’s crimes? Isn’t that kind of an insult?
I swear there was a Law & Order SVU episode that was almost exactly like this situation. Does anyone else recall that?
Don’t mind me, I’m just a loudmouth Aussie. I just caught a news link to “Adnand Jon” and Googled some more and ended up here. Maybe you+me and Gotham Chopra could hook up and I’ll kick BOTH your asses at some back yard cricket?
How’s I get thrown under the bus?
Thomas, that’s specious. Many people have troubled childhoods and are subject to the pressures of adult fame, but they don’t end up like this. And, as a long-ago immigrant, I can say that it’s highly unlikely someone of his profession, in LA, would’ve faced any discrimination for his ethnicity. Certainly I have not, though I’ve lived only in SF, Chicago and NY cities.
But while holding no brief for Anand, I’m shocked at the level of punitiveness shown here. Heinous as his crime was, 67 years is ridiculous. One of the many failings of the American legal system is it’s punitive enthusiasm, including serial sentencing. He’s not a murderer (and in more enlightened countries, even murder does not get that long a sentence.) Many of his victims might have been underage, but to label them “children” and him a “child rapist” is way overblown. 15 years might’ve been enough.
Instead of ballet classes, dear Mothers of Daughters, let’s enroll our girls in martial arts.
As I understand there were some serious problems with the prosecution’s case. From what I can tell Anand did use his power and influence to have sex with underage girls. The sex does seem to be consensual so 67 years is way too much for consensual sex. Also he is a rapist in the strict legal sense but there is almost no evidnece that he forced himself on anyone.
Instead of ballet classes, dear Mothers of Daughters, let’s enroll our girls in martial arts.
I think some people have been left with the impression here that Anand has been convicted of rape which means that he forced himself on women and had sex with them against their will. These underage girls were more than willing to have sex with him. Martial arts would not have helped them here. Anand is of course a creep for having sex with 15 year old girls and deserves jail time.
It is interesting to see the quibbling about the number of years. Why must everything be taken in context? I mean, if someone thinks that 67 years is too long because even murderers do not get that much, then why not just let him go scot free? I am sure we can find some “civilization” where men do not get a day in the slammer for something like this. It is a heinous crime perpetrated on a female under 18, so it is child rape. This happened several times over, not just once. I never particularly saved any ire for Anand Jon, but I do not think his story should be left alone either – this happens, not always to criminals, but it does happen and should be a deterrent. I do not feel sorry for him as an Indian, an Asian, a warm blooded mammal or as a Homo sapien. Period.
There are plenty of people who come from messed up families and pasts who don’t turn out to be rapists and pedophiles. This reasonining only takes the blame away from him.
While I don’t doubt he did this, this sort of shit happens in the industry all the time, he got caught (don’t they say that about all industries) I’m a little startled at the 67 year sentence. Though I believe he will appeal and the sentence will get knocked down some. At some point he’ll get released or put on parole for good behavior or because they run out of space in jail or some such situation!
Death sentence is tricky. Sure I’d like some people to pay with their lives for some crimes the truth is that a death penalty is more expensive than letting someone rot in jail for life in terms of appeals and all the $$$ and resourses government puts into it. And the truth of the matter is if you screwed up and did something heinous you deserve to live with yourself and your thoughts alone and rotting in a little cell for the rest of your life. To me that’s far better punishment than simply ending someone’s life.
hmm… PAFD’s comment is interesting. The age of consent in Canada was 14 till very recently. Does that mean Anand would have got off scott free had he been tried in a more favorable jurisdiction?
And what of the young ages? Girls (+ boys) seem only to be getting sexually adventurous much younger than I remember. HPV vaccinations (Gardasil) are being targeted to girls as young as 8. There is the assumption that they’ll be having sex before the age of 13. Locally, there is an increase in anal and oral intercourse among schoolkids. There is the belief that this is safe (non-)sex. it is not.
I havent followed the guy’s case – he probably had a lousy defence, or a morally upright citizenry who projected whatever depravities anand committed on their own daughter/nieces etc. I can see that it’s a hard case to defend but that’s the whole principle of the legal system, why the lady wears a blindfold.
Pagal_Aadmi_for_debauchery, that is simply NOT TRUE. He was charged with “lewd acts on a child, rape and sexual battery,” as it clearly says above. Rape and sexual battery is not statuatory rape, consensual or otherwise.
For details, see here (trigger warning).
And yes, he still faces charges in Texas and New York.
The sex was consensual but he’s getting 67 years? Doesn’t seem right.
As far as 15 being a child, many of our desi grandmothers were married off well before 15, so I find it odd that desis would be so shocked and appalled. Yes, the guy is a creep who uses his status and position to get sex from teenagers. But if they consented and were willing participants, I don’t see how that could result in 67 years. There has to be a case where he actually forced himself on an unwilling person otherwise this makes no sense.
I know alot of parents want to think of their teenage kids as innocent little angels, but come on, as a parent if you are putting your kid in the fasion industry you have got to be familiar with it enough to know that stuff like this is a possibility and that your kids are being sexualized just by virtue of being in an industry that commercializes sexuality. I wonder where the parents were at while the kids were having sex? What, did they just drop them off at the studio and wait at the Starbuck’s down the street or something?
You also have to question the ethics of parents who put their kids to work in the fashion industry at such a young age.
If John has not forced himself upon on unwilling participant I would have ruled in favor of just registering him as a “sex offender” across the nation. That publicity alone would be enough to shame him and ruin his career. I think? Plus he’d have a hard time finding a place to live.
Here’s more of my overly simplistic thinking: Rather than being the pretty, little twirler that everyone looks at(objectified), girls could learn, with Martial Arts training, to be self-reliant and responsible for their actions.
I’d hope my girl would never pick a field like modeling, but if she did I’d want her to be *equipped to handle the creeps that abound in the industry.
*(Fore-warned, healthily self-esteemed, responsible and knowledgeable on how to kick-ass! In other words, difficult to coerce and to dominate.)
I don’t want to stir up a conversation here, but I have not read about any conclusive evidence (maybe I am not reading the right news) for the verdict. I understand that Anand Jon is an arrogant douche bag, but what if his attitude caused these women to take revenge on him? Doesn’t it sound possible that the young “white” women testifying against a “brown” douche bag of a guy could have caused the jury to go against the guy? Most of you who have kids would easily give this guy a death penalty with or without any conclusive proof. What if the jury members were people like you, who had kids (especially girls)?
Everyone knows that he is an arrogant prick with a difficult childhood. Is that enough to find him guilty?
On the flip side, if he is guilty then I agree with the decision.
Some of the comments here are unbelievable; I really hope that some commenters think before typing, what the hell does our grandmothers being married at 15 has to do with Anand Jon raping some teenagers? Comments on SM show in MSM often so please think of the victims who may end up reading this.
“One of the many failings of the American legal system is it’s punitive enthusiasm”
That’s a failing of people, not simply of the American legal system. See the comments on this thread – a lot of guys and gals who think they’re tough who want him executed or thrown in jail for life and if you dare disagree, you’re a coddler of a rapist who doesn’t care about the victims. Most people in this world are filled with anger and vengeance; comments on blogs are a reflection of that and the legal system in most countries is a reflection of that.
Again, Jon was tried and convicted for FORCING HIMSELF ON UNWILLING PARTICIPANTS. That’s what sexual assault is. His defense was that they were willing and are now crying rape.
say what you may but the hard truth of this closed court matter remains-anand jon is 100% GUILTY of raping girls that are underage! i know him personally & he has tried the same things with me and other friends when we were 15 and 16 thank GOD we found a way out and didnt let him hurt us! I PRAY FOR ALL THE INNOCENT GIRLS WHO ARE THE REAL VICTIMS OF THIS NIGHTMARE race is not the issue and neither is the fact that he had a bad childhood his mother and sister should be ashamed for being aware of all of these crimes and not saying a word to him! GOD SAVE THE VICTIMS! LOVE AND LIGHT AND HAPPINESS TO ALL THE INNOCENT
Umber Desi, I was going on the assumption that he did not force himself on unwilling participants but had sex with underage females, as was alluded to by several, well, at least a few, commenters on this blog. If there was indeed evidence that he forced himself on an unwilling participant then, if I were “in charge”, the guy would be dead.
The grey area comes in where there is lack of evidence and where there is a possibility that these young women had consensual, though underage, sex with the guy.
The comment regarding our desi grandmothers being “married off” well before 15 was meant to illustrate the changing values of cultures over time. Even in USA it was not uncommon for young girls to be married before that age at one time in history. But now we have changed as a culture and society. The same people that cry “underage!” are the same people that may have someone in their family who was actually married and pregnant at an “underage”. But yet these same people and the same culture are actually more “sexualized” in a commercial sense than the cultures that at one time married off kids at the age of 12.
And I still say the parents are partly responsible. If you don’t want your daughter to be “sexualized” then don’t put her to work in a highly sexualized industry for god sake! But of course the parents were thinking about the $$$.
So then what is the verdict? Did this guy force himself on unwilling women and girls or was there more to it?
16-year olds can marry in most states, albeit with parental consent. The above is not just punitive, it’s the epitome of vengeance. Death is NOT the appropriate response for even forced sex with a 16 year old. But then, I don’t think the death penalty should exist at all.
Everything in the legal system is, indeed, in context. First offenders are treated more leniently than repeat, for instance. And as for the second sentence, that’s illogical. No one suggested he go free, just that the punishment should fit the crime.
Pagal_Aadmi_for_debauchery, that is simply NOT TRUE. He was charged with “lewd acts on a child, rape and sexual battery,” as it clearly says above. Rape and sexual battery is not statuatory rape, consensual or otherwise. Again, Jon was tried and convicted for FORCING HIMSELF ON UNWILLING PARTICIPANTS. That’s what sexual assault is. His defense was that they were willing and are now crying rape. So then what is the verdict? Did this guy force himself on unwilling women and girls or was there more to it?
Ok. There are two broad categories of counts here. One of Jon having sex/engaging in sexual acts with underage girls and the other of Jon raping girls who were not underage. I really dont want to defend Jon because I do believe that he engaged in sexual acts with underage girls and he should be punished for that with jail time. However, I do believe there are several problems with the prosecution’s case. (1)A lot of these women have provided almost zero or no credible evidence. There is very little to none physical evidence. In no case did any of these women ever either use a rape kit, had themselves examined or contacted the authorities for years after the alleged incident. (2)Also some of them continued to be allegedly raped by him repeatedly. There is no evidence that Jon was confining these women against their will. The jury was asked to believe that some of these women continued to be with Jon as he assaulted them against their will more than one time. Some women continued to follow him around the US, sending him text messages etc. as he was allegedly assaulting them the whole time. (3)They were extremely shaky on the stand. The prosecutor in fact dropped charges from a dozen women who had initially come out and alleged that Jon had assaulted them. The women who eventually did make it to the stand were poor witnesses who in some cases changed facts, dates etc.
13 · coach diesel said
Coach, it’s so good to see you again. 🙂 I really appreciate the feedback, especially from a long-time reader.
If people aren’t willing to read the post but are willing to assume we support Anand Jon, they’re idiots. I’m relieved that you immediately knew that it was most certainly NOT my intention to come off that way. It’s funny, I actually rewrote the title/post, because I was condemning the shit out of him and I thought it would be more appropriate to show some restraint.
I just could not believe he was using that quote from Gandhi or that “liberate” slogan. I had to post it, to share it with you. Long-time readers will remember/those who bother to click the older SM links will realize this isn’t my first post about him. If people aren’t willing to read the actual post, there’s nothing I can do and I don’t really know that I should have to spoon-feed them a different visual because they’re lazy. I appreciate the comment though, because it didn’t occur to me that some might see it that way until you spoke up. I’m mulling it over, might take it down.
“If people aren’t willing to read the post but are willing to assume we support Anand Jon, they’re idiots.”
Word.
God, you bloggers face wrath for posting, for not posting, for images selected, for vacations, for what you wear, for what you say, for what you feel, etc. My gawd where have the intellectuals all gone?
And, Anna, please do NOT remove the slogan. I, too, am just as horrifed at the choice, but agree, it should be seen.
~Annaphile
I think coach diesel was simply concerned that some people who have never visited Sepia Mutiny before would see that image and presume, as many people do in the heat of the moment, or because they are already predisposed to racist venting, that the blog post was advocating for him, instead of reading it in context of the post. Perhaps people like the Australian visitor at post # 9. And coach diesel had your back.
Don’t change it Anna… it is your call, of course, but it did not make me blink at all. I have been following somewhat and want to thank you for the clearing of measure that you offer us in this bristling weed jungle of comments where crimes like rape are mitigated by equating them to child marriage.
43 · Pali said
Anyone who tries to vent about that in public will promptly be called out by someone who can actually read.
And then can point at them and laugh and laugh.
Thank god for coach, bess, Lizzie and umber desi.
I think it’s amazing that we are arguing over whether or not the evidence was credible. Were you a juror? Did you sit through the trial? Did you read the depositions? The facts we have to work with are that 1) He was found guilty by a jury, and 2) his charges were for rape and sexual battery. We are not debating over whether or not it is ok to have “consensual” sex with 17 year olds, whether 15 year olds know what they’re doing when they engage in sexual acts, etc. Conflating sexually abusing/molesting/attacking young women with consensual sex with minors “at the border” of the age of majority is disingenuous and deceitful.
The conversation right now is not “if” he raped/assaulted women, but rather, what this means in terms of social fallout for his victims, etc., given that a jury found it REALLY REALLY LIKELY that he did it. It’s not easy to successfully prosecute a rape case or a child pornography case, so for the “arguing in his defense” camp, I think it’s safe to assume with a relatively high level of certainty that the verdict reflects the weight of the evidence.
ANNA, with respect to the photo, I agree with coach that it’s disorienting/confusing and appears (when browsing, i.e., not reading the post) that SM supports Jon. I respect the decision to keep it up, but would recommend hiding it “below the fold” and including a different image as the lead image. Just my unsolicited $1.50.
9 · Big Ramifications said
I raised the issue of the spam filter word some time ago and, if I recall correctly, was told that “brown” doesn’t have the same connotations as “black” or “white,” so it’s okay. But since people of all races comment here, why not change it to something like “sepia” or “mutiny”?
Great news. As the homeless guy on the corner said this morning, “HAPPY FRIDAY!”
Prosecutors in the other states where there are charges pending should convict him for a few more crimes, and then ensure the sentences are sequential and not simultaneous. That should effectively put him away for life.
And thank god for you too, Camille. It felt like I was going crazy in here for a minute.
A-fucking-men. Debate the length of his sentence all you want, but I cannot deal with this Joe-Francis rapist-apologist bullshit implying that these young girls (ALL of them! all over the country! reporting the same kinds of experiences!) are lying. So somehow the girl who wrote the blog lockupanandjon.blogspot.com and the girl from Dallas in the article I linked to above and all the other girls from LA and NY all got together and decided to put him in jail. Or they all decided separately to falsely accuse him.
This man is a serial child predator and rapist. He belongs in jail.
Thank you Camille and I agree with everything that you and Lizzie said. This will be probably be read by the victims or their families at some point so it is important in my opinion to be respectful and I don’t know how much any of them will appreciate reading conspiracy theories and how his sentence for what he did to them is too harsh.