This is an archive news report from September 2009.
The sentence
Fashion designer Anand Jon Alexander was sentenced on 1 September 2009 to 59 years to life in prison for sexually assaulting aspiring models. He had been convicted the previous November on 14 counts, including forcible rape.
Superior Court Judge David Wesley said Alexander should be imprisoned as long as possible for preying upon young girls and women, and stated that Alexander had shown no remorse for his actions. Alexander, then 35, showed no reaction as the sentence was delivered.
Background
Alexander was born in India, graduated from the Parsons School of Design in New York, and launched his own fashion line in 1999.
Beverly Hills police began investigating in March 2007, after a woman reported that she had been sexually assaulted at his apartment in Beverly Hills.
The trial
Prosecutors relied on testimony from thirteen women. One told the court: “I was 14. You took my adolescence, my trust, my dream and completely manipulated them for your sexual desires.”
Defense attorneys argued that a number of the women were lying in order to seek revenge after failing to obtain modeling work.
Prosecutors stated at the time that Alexander also faced similar charges in New York and Texas.
A note on this report
This account reflects court proceedings as reported in September 2009 and has not been updated since. Subsequent appeals, rulings or proceedings in other jurisdictions are not covered here. Anyone relying on this for anything beyond a record of what was reported at the time should consult current court records.
