Mike Jeffries, the former CEO of Abercrombie & Fitch, was arrested on federal charges linked to sex trafficking on Tuesday, Oct. 22. Prosecutors claim he, along with two other men, ran an international sex trafficking and prostitution operation.
Prosecutors allege that 80-year-old Jeffries, who led the clothing retailer from 1992 to 2014, and his partner Matthew Smith, 61, reportedly funded numerous men to travel to New York and other locations for “sex events,” as stated in a federal indictment.
The charges state that Jeffries’ staff member James Jacobson, 71, referred to as “Jim Jake” and “Mrs. Cook,” was responsible for recruiting and interviewing individuals for the sex parties.
Jeffries, Jacobson, and Smith face serious allegations, including one charge of sex trafficking and 15 counts related to interstate prostitution.
Prosecutors claim that the three men used coercive, fraudulent, and deceptive methods to traffic men while running an international sex trafficking and prostitution operation from 2008 to 2015, as stated in the indictment.
The indictment states that the business was focused on satisfying their desires while keeping their international sex trafficking and prostitution operations hidden, thus preserving Jeffries’ strong reputation.
The indictment asserts that the supposed victims were compelled to surrender their clothing, wallets, and cell phones during the “sex events.” According to the indictment, there are claims that individuals were reportedly required to sign non-disclosure agreements and were “pressured” into consuming alcohol, taking Viagra, and using muscle relaxants.
“Many of the victims, at least one of whom was as young as 19 years old, were financially vulnerable and aspired to be models in the fashion industry,” according to a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of New York.
Jeffries featured prominently in a critical documentary, The Abercrombie Guys: The Dark Side of Cool, which examined various lawsuits claiming discriminatory hiring practices that were brought against the company during his tenure.
A 2023 BBC investigation claimed that Jeffries and Smith were involved in a well-structured network that included a middleman who recruited young men for sex events.
Eight men who attended the alleged sex events have come forward, stating they were exploited or abused, according to a report by the BBC.
A class action lawsuit was filed last year by a group of models against Jeffries and Abercrombie, as reported by Reuters.
A spokesperson for Abercrombie chose not to provide any comments regarding the arrests. The company expressed in an October 2023 statement that they were “appalled and disgusted by the behavior described in the allegations against Mr. Jeffries.”
Jeffries and Smith have been taken into custody in Florida and are set to appear in a federal court in West Palm Beach on Tuesday, Oct. 22, according to John Marzulli, a spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York.
Jacobson is set to appear in federal court in St. Paul, Minn., on Tuesday, as reported by Marzulli.