Mike Jefferies, the former CEO of American fashion giant Abercrombie & Fitch, has been arrested in the US on federal sex trafficking charges. The fashion mogul is suspected of drugging and sexually exploiting vulnerable men.
Jeffries, his romantic partner Matthew Smith, and their employee James Jacobson were all detained on Tuesday in a case involving 15 unnamed accusers.
While Jeffries and Jacobson were released on $10 million and $500,000 bonds respectively, Smith, who holds dual US-British citizenship, remains in custody.
According to an indictment cited by the media, the defendants had for almost 20 years lured young men into coercive sex parties with the promise of a modeling career for the retailer.
The victims were allegedly paid to accompany Jeffries and Smith to locations in New York as well as in the UK, France, Italy, Morocco and St. Barts between 2008 and 2015, where they would supposedly be forced to participate in hours-long sex parties. Prosecutors say they believe that the alleged victims, some as young as 19 at the time, had not been told in advance that they would be expected to perform sexual practices.
US attorney Breon Peace said at a news conference that prosecutors have “a lot of evidence” to underpin the case, including travel records, financial documents, and testimony from accusers and witnesses.
Lawyers representing Jeffries told reporters that their client “vehemently denies” the allegations.
Several public figures in the US have faced similar accusations in recent years. Among the latest cases is that of rap icon Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs, who last month was charged with sex trafficking, racketeering, and transportation to engage in prostitution. Combs allegedly enticed vulnerable women into drug-fueled orgies, promising them financial or career support. According to court documents, the victims would then be forced to engage in sexual intercourse with male prostitutes, with the whole process filmed.
The rap mogul allegedly physically abused his victims by punching and kicking them. Combs has pleaded not guilty to the charges.
In 2019, the late financier Jeffrey Epstein was arrested by US authorities and later charged with human trafficking and conspiracy to traffic minors for sex. A number of prominent business and political figures had allegedly visited his private island in the Caribbean, where dozens of young women – some of whom were underage at the time – were purportedly forced to gratify them sexually.