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Mike Jeffries, his partner Matthew Smith, and their associate James Jacobson were indicted Tuesday morning on over a dozen counts related to sex trafficking.
The former CEO of clothing company Abercrombie & Fitch has been arrested on sex trafficking charges.
Mike Jeffries, 80, his partner Matthew Smith, and their associate James Jacobson were indicted Tuesday morning by a federal grand jury in the Eastern District of New York on over a dozen counts related to sex trafficking between December 2008 and March 2015, multiple outlets report.
The three are accused of recruiting aspiring male models and coercing them into performing sex acts to further their careers. Jeffries and his associates would allegedly bring the men, who expressed the desire to become models for Abercrombie & Fitch, to sex parties where the men would be given drugs, alcohol, and Viagra, then made to perform the acts.
Jeffries and Smith will appear this afternoon in federal court in the Southern District of Florida while Jacobson appears in the Western District of Wisconsin. All three will be arraigned in the Eastern District of New York at a later date. The court will give a press conference with further information at noon.
One of Jeffries's attorneys, Brian Bieber, told NBC News, “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.”
Jeffries's arrest comes one year after Abercrombie & Fitch announced it would be hiring an independent law firm to investigate allegations against him and Smith, revealed in a report by the BBC, claiming that the pair sexually exploited young men during Jeffries's time as CEO. The brand has claimed that current company leadership was not previously aware of the allegations.
If you or someone you know has experienced sexual violence, theNational Sexual Assault Hotline is available 24/7 with free and confidential services. More resources are availablehere. If you or someone you know has experienced trafficking, or if you suspect someone is a victim of trafficking, the National Human Trafficking Hotline is also available at 1-888-373-7888, toll-free and 24/7.
