Jeffries, partner Matthew Smith and their employee James Jacobson "operated an international sex trafficking and prostitution business" from 2008 to 2015, using Jeffries' status, wealth and a web of household staffers to fulfill the couple's sexual desires and keep it all secret, according to an indictment unsealed in federal court in Brooklyn.
The charges follow sexual misconduct allegations, made in lawsuits and the media, from young people who said Jeffries promised modeling work and then pressed them into sex acts.
Mike Jeffries was credited with transforming Abercrombie & Fitch into a darling of teen brands. (AP PHOTO)
Jeffries' attorney, Brian Bieber, said by email he would "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."
Messages seeking comment were sent to attorneys for Smith and Jacobson.
Jeffries and Smith were arrested in Florida and were due to make an initial court appearance Tuesday afternoon in West Palm Beach. Jacobson was arrested in Wisconsin and due in court in St Paul, Minnesota. Brooklyn-based US Attorney Breon Peace and FBI and police officials were set to hold a news conference Tuesday afternoon.
Jeffries, Smith and Jacobson are charged with sex trafficking and interstate prostitution.
According to the indictment, they paid for dozens of men to travel within the US and internationally to engage in commercial sex with them and other men in New York and at hotels in England, France, Italy, Morocco and St Barts. The indictment describes sexual bacchanals in which the recruited men were given drugs, lubricant, condoms, costumes, sex toys and, sometimes, erection-inducing penile injections that caused painful, hours-long reactions.
The defendants led the men to believe that attending the events would help their careers, including their chances of getting Abercrombie modeling gigs — or that not complying could harm their prospects, the indictment says.
Jeffries and Smith employed Jacobson to recruit and hire the men, who typically had to undergo "tryouts" by having sex with Jacobson first, according to the indictment. It says other, unnamed household staffers also helped facilitate the events, including by acting as security and providing alcohol, muscle relaxants, Viagra and other items.
Jeffries became CEO of Abercrombie & Fitch in 1992 and left in 2014. The New Albany, Ohio-based company declined to comment on his arrest.
Abercrombie last year said it had hired an outside law firm to conduct an independent investigation after a report on similar allegations was aired by the BBC.
The BBC investigation included a dozen men who described being at events involving sex acts they said were staged by Jeffries and Smith, often at his home in New York and hotels in London, Paris and elsewhere.
The BBC report also described Jacobson as a middleman who recruited men for the events. He told the news outlet at the time that he hadn't engaged in and didn't know of "any coercive, deceptive or forceful behavior."
