DESIGNER ANAND JON PLEADS NOT GUILTY TO RAPE AND SEXUAL BATTERY

Fashion designer Anand Jon has pleaded not guilty to 32 counts of sexual assault against 12 different women. The 33-year-old appeared in court in Beverly Hills, Calif., Wednesday to enter a plea, the same day he was charged with attacks on four more victims. The charges against Jon include rape, sexual battery, lewd acts on a minor and contributing to the delinquency of a minor. The alleged victims are aged between 14 and 23 years old and are all linked to the fashion industry. At Wednesday's arraignment Jon's attorney argued the sex was consensual, accusing the women of targeting his client because he had not made them famous. But Deputy District Attorney Mara McIlvain told the court, "It's violent. It's sexual offenses against younger female victims. It's a pattern of conduct that is like a serial sex offender." The prosecution lost its attempt to raise Jon's $1.3 million bail. The designer is due to return to court on June 12. If convicted he faces life in prison.