Anand Jon pleads not guilty after more charges are filed

Los Angeles, April 5 Celebrity Indian-origin fashion designer Anand Jon has pleaded 'not guilty' to sexual assault charges in a Beverly Hills court after 13 new allegations were brought against him.

Wearing a dark suit offset by a gold-coloured tie, Jon pleaded 'not guilty' to all counts filed against him. He originally faced 21 counts, but on Wednesday morning 13 new allegations were brought against him by five more women whose identities have been withheld.

The fresh charges were brought against him by Los Angeles district attorney Mara McIlvain in the courtroom of Judge Elden S. Fox in the Beverly Hills Superior Court during Jon's arraignment, reports www.Hollywood.tv.

Jon now faces a total of 27 felonies and five misdemeanour charges. When the district attorney was asked by Judge Fox if she intended to bring more charges against Jon the next time she appeared in court, McIlvain didn't give a definite answer. 'I'm aware of six other victims,' she simply said.

In light of the new charges brought against the fashion designer, McIlvain also asked the court to raise Jon's $1.3 million bail by another $960,000, because 'he has a pattern of behaviour that is violent and sexually offensive', she said. 'He's a sexual predator.'

Judge Fox denied her request. However, after allowing Jon to reside in New York with his sister Sanjana, her husband Richard and her mother Shashi until his trial, Judge Fox ordered that Jon must be accompanied by an adult whenever he is around any women under the age of 30. Because Jon will be returning to work in the fashion industry, Fox said that he didn't want Jon left alone around 'potential victims who exist in the sphere of his profession'.

He also instructed that every woman and model Jon works with must sign and date a document attesting to the fact that an adult was present at all times during their interaction.

After the arraignment, Ronald Richards, Jon's attorney, seemed unfazed by the new allegations against his client. Whenever a celebrity faces these kinds of allegations, 'it is expected that people come out of the woodwork', he said, adding that there was 'no corroboration' that any of the women making the accusations 'have ever met my client'.

Sanjana, wearing slacks and a dark green plaid jacket, reiterated her support for her brother. 'I trust in god,' she said. 'Anyone can make these kinds of allegations, but everyone is innocent until proven guilty.'

If convicted of all the allegations, Jon could face life in prison. He was ordered by Judge Fox to return to court on June 12 for his pre-trail hearing.

(c) Indo-Asian News Service

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