AP
 
Beverly Hills, Jun 14: Celebrity fashion designer Anand Jon has pleaded not guilty to 13 new charges of sexual assault after at least six more women and girls accused him of abuse.
 
Indian-born Jon, who has dressed starlets such as Paris Hilton and was once portrayed by Newsweek as the designer to watch in 2007, is accused of meeting women on the Internet and assaulting them when they visited him for modelling opportunities. His defence has claimed some of the women made the allegations to seek fame.

At least 18 women and girls, ranging in age from 14 to 27, have accused him of abuse. A report said the attacks occurred between November of 2002 and March of this year and that Jon was first investigated after one of the alleged victims had contacted authorities.

Jon now faces more than 40 felony and misdemeanour counts of sexual assault that include rape, sexual battery and committing a lewd act on a child, said Jane Robison, a spokeswoman for the Los Angeles County district attorney's office.

He has pleaded not guilty to all previous charges and could face life in prison if convicted on all counts.

He is free on bail after being arrested in March. Superior Court judge Elden Fox denied a prosecution request on Tuesday to increase Alexander's bail to $2.3 million.

Alexander's new attorney, Danny Davis, said outside the court that there was a ''common, unifying source'' among the victims but declined to elaborate. He said the evidence would likely be revealed at a preliminary hearing.