The former CEO of Abercrombie & Fitch, Mike Jeffries, was arrested this Tuesday as part of a criminal investigation into sex trafficking carried out by the federal prosecutor’s office and the FBI in Brooklyn, according to information published in the press.
Jeffries has been detained along with his British partner, Matthew Smith, and a third man, Jim Jacobson, as authorities investigate allegations that the men sexually exploited and abused young people at parties they hosted in the US and around the world. Jeffries and Smith are expected to appear in court late Tuesday.
Eight men told a 2023 BBC investigation that they had been exploited and recruited for sexual events by the former fashion boss. Federal prosecutors launched an investigation in January 2024 following a civil lawsuit filed by victims last year.
The plaintiff’s attorney, Brad Edwards of the Edwards Henderson firm, told ABC News in a statement: “As we stated in our lawsuit, this was a sex trafficking organization run by Abercrombie that permeated the entire company and allowed “The three individuals arrested today victimize dozens and dozens of young aspiring male models.”
Jeffries was accused of sexually exploiting young men between 2009 and 2015 in cities around the world. Some men reported being abused or injected with drugs. Jeffries and his partner denied all allegations in a court filing in response to the lawsuit.
He resigned as CEO of Abercrombie & Fitch in December 2014, retiring from the position and from the company’s board of directors. At the time, the company was disappointed with the financial results under his leadership. His tenure also drew scrutiny over his exclusionary marketing, focusing on thin, attractive customers.
“We will respond in detail to the allegations after the indictment is unsealed, and when appropriate, but we plan to do so in court – not in the media,” Brian Bieber, Jeffries’ attorney, told the Wall Street Journal.
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