Former Abercrombie & Fitch CEO Michael Jeffries, his romantic partner and a third man were arrested Tuesday on charges of luring men into sex parties held around the world, sometimes by dangling the promise of modeling for the clothing retailer.
Jeffries, partner Matthew Smith and their employee James Jacobson ran 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.
“To anyone who thinks they can exploit and coerce others by using the so-called casting couch system, this case should serve as a warning – prepare to trade that couch for a bed in federal prison,” Brooklyn-based U.S. lawyer Breon Peace said at a news conference.
“Sexually exploiting vulnerable human beings is a crime. And doing so by dangling dreams of a future in fashion and modelling is no different,” he added.
The charges follow sexual misconduct allegations, made in lawsuits and the media, from young people who said Jeffries promised modelling work and then pressed them into sex acts.
Jeffries’ lawyer, 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 lawyers 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.
Peace and FBI and police officials held a news conference Tuesday afternoon. Jeffries, Smith and Jacobson are charged with sex trafficking and interstate prostitution involving 15 unnamed accusers.
According to the indictment, they paid for dozens of men to travel within the U.S. and internationally to engage in paid 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 men weren’t informed of all that the events would entail, including some of the sexual practices they’d be expected to engage in, and they were required to give up their clothes and cell phones during the gatherings and sign non-disclosure agreements afterward, the indictment said.
The defendants led the men to believe that attending the events would help their careers, including their chances of getting Abercrombie modelling gigs — or that not complying could harm their prospects, the indictment says. It said that in some instances, the men got itineraries that looked like those often sent to models for photo shoots, leaving the men in the dark about what they were signing up for.
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 behaviour.”
A lawsuit filed in New York last year accused Abercrombie of allowing Jeffries to run a sex-trafficking organization during his 22-year tenure. It said that Jeffries had modelling scouts scouring the internet for victims, and that some prospective models became sex-trafficking victims. At the time, Bieber declined to comment on the allegations.
Abercrombie & Fitch traces its roots to a hunting and outdoors goods store that was founded in 1892. By the time Jeffries arrived a century later, the brand was a retail also-ran.
He was credited with transforming it into a darling of turn-of-the-millennium teen mall culture, known for its nouveau-preppy aesthetic — and for some controversy surrounding it. Jeffries alienated some customers by talking about how the company went after attractive kids who could fit into its clothes.
After the 2008 financial crisis and subsequent recession, A&F’s popularity started to fade again. By the time Jeffries left, a hedge fund had pushed the company’s board to replace him because of the company’s lagging performance.
But the company has rebounded in recent years.
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If you or someone you know is experiencing abuse or is involved in an abusive situation, please visit the Canadian Resource Centre for Victims of Crime for help. They are also reachable toll-free at 1-877-232-2610.