The former CEO of fashion giant Abercrombie & Fitch, Mike Jeffries, was arrested and charged with running a prostitution and international sex trafficking operation.
The charges follow an October 2023 investigation by BBC.
Along with his associates Matthew Smith and James Jacobson, Jeffries is accused of using his power to target young men who wanted to work as models in the fashion industry, with the indictment mentioning at least 15 victims.
US Attorney for the Eastern District of New York Breon Peace said at a press conference that the three defendants “used force, fraud and coercion to traffic those men for their own sexual gratification… There may be other victims out there and we’re hoping to provide justice.”
Jeffries took over as CEO of the fashion company in 1992 and retired in 2014. But from 2008 to 2015, the male models alleged that:
- they were taken to private locations
- forced to sign non-disclosure agreements (NDAs)
- had their clothing and other personal belongings taken away
- they were be given muscle relaxers, alcohol and/or Viagra
“Many of the victims, at least one of whom was as young as 19 years old, were financially vulnerable and aspired to become models in the fashion industry,” Peace added via a statement released by his office.
Evidence against the acused includes travel and financial records, and testimony of victims and witnesses.
Jeffries and Smith previously denied any wrongdoing via their lawyers.
Abercrombie & Fitch – which declined to comment on the arrests – was also listed as a defendant in the case, particularly for turning “a blind eye to his blatant misconduct so that the company would remain profitable during the most prominent years of Jeffries’s abuse.”
