ID :
19437
Sun, 09/14/2008 - 08:00
Auther :
Shortlink :
http://m.oananews.org//node/19437
The shortlink copeid
Indian-born designer's rape trial begins
Silicon Valley, Sept 13 (PTI) A Los Angeles court on Saturday opened trial against Indian-born fashion designer Anand Jon, accused of sexually assaulting aspiring models, with prosecutors alleging that he was a "serial rapist".
Deputy District Attorney Frances Young told a six-woman jury in her opening statement that the fashion designer allegedly exploited his position in the glamour industry to lure young aspiring fashion models to his Beverly Hills condominium, where he humiliated them through "painful sexual acts".
Jon, who has been in jail since his arrest in June 2007,
is charged with 25 counts, ranging from forcible rape to
committing lewd acts on a child.
The 34-year-old Indian-born designer was originally
indicted on 59 counts in September last year. But more than
half of the charges were dropped last week.
He has denied the allegations. If convicted, Jon faces
the possibility of 122 years of life imprisonment.
Prosecutors played a homemade videotape, which they
claimed showed him asking a 17-year-old to strip before
sexually abusing her, the Los Angeles Times reported Saturday.
They also told jurors about eight other alleged victims,
one of them as young as 14. "They said he kept a 'brag list'
in which he detailed his encounters and sometimes the ages of
his 'conquests'," the paper said.
Superior Court Judge David S. Wesley on Friday granted a
prosecution request to dismiss four more counts. Defence
attorney Leonard Levine said the dismissal showed the weakness
of the evidence against Jon.
"It says volumes about the rest of the case," he said
outside the courtroom. "It's totally falling apart."
Inside court, Levine described Jon as the victim of false
accusations and overzealous investigators. He said the women
had consensual sex and some of the underage girls, including
the girl shown in the video, told Jon they were 18.
In his opening statement, Levine said that the only
humiliation in the case was that the women never became models
and were angry at Jon because he made them do various chores
while they visited him.
Levine said alleged victims were lured and drawn to his
celebrity status.
"Everyone wanted to be with Anand," Levine said. "For
weeks, for months, for years, everyone said they were fine..
until they were given a chance to tear the celebrity down."
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Deputy District Attorney Frances Young told a six-woman jury in her opening statement that the fashion designer allegedly exploited his position in the glamour industry to lure young aspiring fashion models to his Beverly Hills condominium, where he humiliated them through "painful sexual acts".
Jon, who has been in jail since his arrest in June 2007,
is charged with 25 counts, ranging from forcible rape to
committing lewd acts on a child.
The 34-year-old Indian-born designer was originally
indicted on 59 counts in September last year. But more than
half of the charges were dropped last week.
He has denied the allegations. If convicted, Jon faces
the possibility of 122 years of life imprisonment.
Prosecutors played a homemade videotape, which they
claimed showed him asking a 17-year-old to strip before
sexually abusing her, the Los Angeles Times reported Saturday.
They also told jurors about eight other alleged victims,
one of them as young as 14. "They said he kept a 'brag list'
in which he detailed his encounters and sometimes the ages of
his 'conquests'," the paper said.
Superior Court Judge David S. Wesley on Friday granted a
prosecution request to dismiss four more counts. Defence
attorney Leonard Levine said the dismissal showed the weakness
of the evidence against Jon.
"It says volumes about the rest of the case," he said
outside the courtroom. "It's totally falling apart."
Inside court, Levine described Jon as the victim of false
accusations and overzealous investigators. He said the women
had consensual sex and some of the underage girls, including
the girl shown in the video, told Jon they were 18.
In his opening statement, Levine said that the only
humiliation in the case was that the women never became models
and were angry at Jon because he made them do various chores
while they visited him.
Levine said alleged victims were lured and drawn to his
celebrity status.
"Everyone wanted to be with Anand," Levine said. "For
weeks, for months, for years, everyone said they were fine..
until they were given a chance to tear the celebrity down."
PTI CORR
AMT
NNNN
The information contained in this electronic message and any attachments to this
message are intended for the exclusive use of the addressee(s) and may contain
proprietary, confidential or privileged information. If you are not the intended
recipient, you should not disseminate, distribute or copy this e-mail. Please notify
the sender immediately and destroy all copies of this message and any attachments
contained in it.
