Anand Jon

Washington, March 18: The sex-related charges this month against Anand Jon Alexander in Los Angeles were not the first against the Indian fashion designer, the celebrity website TMZ.com reported. Newsweek magazine, meanwhile, reported in its latest issue that Anand Jon “spent the first five days sleeping on a bench in a lockup while awaiting a cell in a special housing unit” in a Los Angeles jail.

Anand Jon’s lawyer, Ronald Richards, is trying to get his $1.365 million bail amount reduced. The high bond was fixed because multiple rape charges have been levelled against the Thiruvananthapuram-born accused, legal experts in California explained.

According to TMZ.com, Anand Jon was arrested in 2003 and charged with “committing a lewd act on a child”. But after the charge was reduced to misdemeanour disorderly conduct, he did not contest the prosecution and was let out on probation for three years on condition that he should complete 52 weeks of sex therapy.

He was also ordered by court not to be with anyone below the age of 18 unless a responsible adult was present. He completed the requirements of his probation in 2005 after which, records of his conviction were expunged.

Newsweek named Anand Jon’s latest alleged rape victim as Jessie B. and his alleged victim in 2004, Natalie P. He met both women online and then invited them to Los Angeles, paying for the flight at least in one instance. The 15-year-old model in the case has not been identified because of her age.

Richards was quoted in Newsweek as saying that the lewd act the designer is charged with consisted of touching the minor girl’s underwear. The lawyer said Anand Jon did not know she was a child because she claimed to be 18.

Newsweek has carried the story, unusually long for such a charge, ostensibly because the magazine now has doubts in hindsight about having named Anand Jon one of only 20 people in its New Year issue as among leaders in various walks of life to watch in 2007.

At the time of his arrest, the highly successful designer was working on a new line of fashion wear called “Atomize” to be unveiled during his show as part of the Los Angeles Fashion Week on Tuesday. The show has now been cancelled.

Anand Jon was also hoping to launch his own reality project based on his life as a designer.