Celebrity LA fashion designer gets 59 years for rape

A celebrity Los Angeles fashion designer will spend a minimum of 59 years in jail for sexually assaulting and raping over a dozen aspiring young models.

Anand Jon Alexander, an Indian born fashionista who designed clothes for Paris Hilton and Mary J. Blige and featured on the hit television show America's Next Top Model, was found guilty of 14 counts of sexual assault including forcible rape between 2002-2006.

Thirteen of his young victims held hands and cried as Superior Court Judge David Wesley told Alexander, 34,he should be incarcerated as long as possible for preying on young girls and women.

Three girls told a packed court-room how Alexander had robbed them of their innocence.

"I was 14. You took my adolescence, my trust, my dream and completely manipulated them for your sexual desires," said one of the women, now 17. "It sickens me that a grown man can do such a thing to a girl, a girl who was naive and had the belief that all people were good."

Prosecutors said that Alexander often found women online, baited them with promises of glamorous photo shoots and other modelling work, only to fondle or rape them at his Beverly Hills apartment.

Another woman, now 21, who was raped by Alexander in 2007, said: "I have a constant reminder of the day that I, the biggest daddy's girl in the world, had to tell my dad that I had been raped by this person. Now every day I have to cope with my family having to relive all of this and it absolutely kills me ," she said.

Alexander, wearing a dark suit with his long black hair tied in a ponytail, put on a pair of
black-rimmed glasses but otherwise showed no emotion as his sentence was read out.

Earlier in the day he had broken down in tears as he argued that he should have a fresh trial. "If you are going to put me away, do it for the right reasons," he had implored Mr Wesley. "Judge, this is my life here."

Mr Wesley had rejected an earlier motion for a new trial after it was discovered that a juror,
Alvin Dymally, had contacted Alexander's sister Sanjana apparently wanting a romantic liaison and offering his help.

Mr Wesley found both in contempt of court after but ruled that the conversation between the two had not swayed the verdict.

During the trial, prosecutors relied heavily on the testimony from women who made the accusations against Alexander. Defence lawyers argued that many of women were lying about what happened to them and sought revenge against Alexander when they didn't get modeling jobs.

Alexander, who has maintained his innocence, faces similar charges in New York and Texas.

Alexander launched his first fashion line in 1999, quickly becoming the darling of Hollywood. His website boasts dozens of celebrities as his clients including Hilton, who is described as a fan of his hand-printed jeans, which sold for more than $700 (£431).