While Abercrombie & Fitch has been attempting a comeback from its controversial past, the retailer’s embattled former CEO continues to do his part to the sully the brand’s name with new criminal charges.
On Tuesday, Mike Jeffries, who ran the popular clothing company from 1992 to 2014, was arrested on sex trafficking and interstate prostitution charges, reported NBC News.
The 80-year-old was apprehended in West Palm Beach, Florida along with two of his associates, Matt Smith and James Jacobson.
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All three face 15 counts of interstate prostitution and one count of sex trafficking relating to incidents that occurred between December 2008 to March 2015.
According to grand jury indictments, Smith is listed as the former CEO’s romantic partner, while Jacobson allegedly recruited young men “to perform commercial sex acts” for the couple, CNBC noted.
The indictment
During a press conference, U.S. Attorney Breon Peace laid out the allegations made against Jeffries, Smith and Jacobson in the federal indictment.
Jacobson allegedly engaged in “tryouts” where he would pay men to engage in sex with him. Smith would then approve which of the selected men would get flown around the world to meet with him and Jeffries for the purpose to “attend events to engage in commercial sex.”
The indictment alleges Jeffries, Smith and Jacobson “used force, fraud and coercion to traffic those men for their own sexual gratification.” They also allegedly employed a referral system that didn’t inform the men of the “full extent and nature of sexual activity required of the men at these events.” Without having knowledge of what was expected of them, the men were told that attending these events could lead to modeling opportunities with Abercrombie.
The defendants also employed a “secret staff” that made sure the men signed NDAs (nondisclosure agreements) and handed over their phones while at the “sex events” to maintain secrecy.
The men were allegedly pressured to consume alcohol, Viagra and poppers, while others were injected with erection-inducing substance to perform sex acts they were unwilling to engage in. Also on more than one on occasion, Jeffries and Smith allegedly violated the “bodily integrity” of these men by subjecting them to “invasive sexual and violent contact by body parts and other objects.”
In a statement to the NY Post, Jeffries’ lawyer said: “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.”
Watch the press conference:
The documentaries
The new charges come one year after Jeffries and Smith were accused of exploiting male models at sex parties between 2009 and 2015 in a bombshell BBC investigation.
According to the BBC report, it was during this time that the mogul and his partner allegedly worked with a middleman (Jacobson) who would recruit young men to attend parties at their New York residence and hotels around the globe where they were exploited for sex.
In the network’s investigative documentary series, Panorama, a new episode titled “The Abercrombie Guys: The Dark Side Of Cool” delved into the allegations by speaking with men who say they were recruited to take part in so-called “sex events” where they were taken advantage of, uncovering a “highly organized network of abuse.”
That report led to a civil lawsuit filed by former model David Bradberry and other plaintiffs who also accused Jeffries and Smith of sexual misconduct and rape.
“Jim [Jacobson] made it clear to me that unless I let him perform oral sex on me, that I would not be meeting with A&F or Mike Jeffries,” Bradberry told the BBC, per the NY Post.
Model and influencer Barrett Paul also described being coerced into various sexual acts at these events.
“This experience, I think it broke me,” Pall shared. “I think that this stole any ounce of innocence that I had left. It mentally messed me up. But with the language I now have today, I can sit here and tell you that I was taken advantage of.”
In January, Jeffries responded to the civil lawsuit in a court filing asking to have the case dismissed on the grounds that the claims are “meritless” and fall outside the statue of limitations.
In the statement, Jeffries’ lawyers said he “vehemently denies every allegation made against him” in the civil lawsuit, and “asks the court to look beyond the sensationalized narrative presented by the plaintiff, and to address the glaring legal deficiencies in the complaint, which necessitate the dismissal of this action”.
In regards to their involvement with the allegations, Abercrombie & Fitch filed a separate response to the civil lawsuit claiming they had no knowledge Jeffries’ alleged sexual misconduct or “supposed trafficking venture” until the BBC report was published in October 2023.
Jeffries ran A&F for over two decades and turned the brand into a multi-billion-dollar retailer known for its preppy clothing and highly sexualized (and homoerotic) marketing. He stepped down in 2014 over sagging sales and controversy over the company’s hiring practices, including claims of racism and sexual harassment.
His rise and fall at the retail giant were the subject of the 2022 Netflix documentary White Hot.
Since 2017, Fran Horowitz has been Abercrombie’s CEO and has moved away from showcasing sexualized models with a rebrand that is resonating with its Gen Z target audience.
In August, the company reported their revenue grew 21% during its fiscal second quarter and stock shares up nearly 80% so far this year.
Jeffries, Smith and Jacobson were set to make their initial appearance in federal court later on Tuesday. All three will be arraigned in U.S. District Court in the Eastern District of New York at a later date.
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Max123
Can we be all that surprised when all of this is played out in news/media, etc. throughout the years in their height..Winstein, Combs, etc…and then people are surprised.. Always wonder were they compensated..did they return, ..does any of this have to do with wanting more?
devinn
What exactly are comercial sex practices, and more importantly, where can I get injections to cause instant erections?
Ken A.
Doctor.