Former CEO Of This ICONIC Brand Is Added To The Naughty List On Arrest

By Alan Hume | Wednesday, 23 October 2024 04:30 PM
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Image Credit : Getty Image

Mike Jeffries, the erstwhile CEO of Abercrombie & Fitch, has been apprehended on charges related to sex trafficking, according to two sources privy to the case.

Alongside Jeffries, two of his associates were also taken into custody in a case that originates from the Eastern District of New York.

According to CNN, the indictment, which comprises over a dozen counts, accuses Jeffries and his two associates of orchestrating a sex trafficking scheme from December 2008 to March 2015. The scheme allegedly involved the recruitment of men with modeling aspirations. These prospective models were reportedly subjected to sex-themed parties where they were provided with drugs, alcohol, and Viagra to perform sex acts.

The indictment names Matthew Smith and James Jacobson as the other defendants. Prosecutors claim that Jeffries, Smith, and Jacobson ran an international sex trafficking and prostitution enterprise from approximately 2008 to 2015, primarily to satisfy their sexual desires. Smith, a resident of West Palm Beach, Florida, was romantically involved with Jeffries, while Jacobson, from Rice Lake, Michigan, was reportedly employed by Jeffries and Smith to recruit men for commercial sex acts.

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The three defendants were arrested and are set to make their initial appearances in federal court. Jeffries and Smith will appear in the Southern District of Florida, while Jacobson will appear in St. Paul, Minnesota. They will later be arraigned in the Eastern District of New York.

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Brian Bieber, Jeffries' attorney, stated, “We will respond in detail to the allegations after the Indictment is unsealed, and when appropriate, but plan to do so in the courthouse – not the media.”

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The source alleges that Jeffries and Smith financed the travel of dozens of men within the United States and internationally to engage in sex acts at various locations. Jacobson's role was reportedly to recruit and interview men for these "sex parties," which involved alcohol, drugs, and Viagra. The men were allegedly subjected to a referral system and interview process for these parties, without being fully informed about the nature of the sexual activities they would be required to engage in.

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Jeffries and Smith are accused of injecting men with a drug to induce them to participate in sex acts. Some of the victims were as young as 19, and many were aspiring models or hoping to advance their careers.

Jeffries faced severe criticism in 2023 following a BBC investigation that accused him and his partner, Matthew Smith, of exploiting young men. A lawsuit was filed against Jeffries and Abercrombie & Fitch by dozens of men, alleging that Jeffries used his position to exploit and abuse them. Abercrombie & Fitch expressed shock at the allegations and initiated an independent investigation.

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Jeffries, who served as the CEO of Abercrombie & Fitch from 1992 to 2014, transformed the company into a global brand for teen and youth fashion, often using provocative marketing. However, his tenure was not without controversy, and he stepped down in 2014 amid public outcry over his exclusionary vision for the company.

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