Former Abercrombie CEO Jeffries to enter plea in sex trafficking case

(Reuters) – Mike Jeffries, the former longtime chief executive of Abercrombie & Fitch, will be arraigned on Friday after being charged with running an international sex trafficking and prostitution scheme while leading the clothing retailer.

Jeffries, 80, who led Abercrombie from 1992 to 2014, is expected to enter his plea to 16 criminal charges before a federal judge in Central Islip, New York, in that state’s Suffolk County.

His employee James Jacobson will also enter a plea. Jeffries’ partner Matthew Smith, a dual U.S.-British citizen, was ordered detained and will plead later. Both face the same charges as Jefferies.

Prosecutors said the alleged scheme ran from 2008 to 2015.

They said Jacobson acted as a recruiter, paid men to have sex with him then chose who would be paid to travel to Manhattan, the Hamptons and several countries around the world to have sex with Jeffries and Smith.

Victims were led to believe that their efforts could lead to modeling jobs, but the scheme’s true purpose was to fulfill Jeffries’ and Smith’s sexual desires without tarnishing Jeffries’ reputation, prosecutors said.

According to the indictment, victims were forced to consume alcohol, Viagra and muscle relaxants; use sex toys; and perform sex acts against their will. They were also required to sign nondisclosure agreements, the indictment said.

Dozens of men were victims, including 15 identified in the indictment, prosecutors said.

Each defendant faces 15 years to life in prison if convicted of sex trafficking and up to 20 years in prison if convicted of interstate prostitution.

The charges echo accusations in a 2023 BBC investigation and private litigation on behalf of Jeffries’ accusers.

Abercrombie has also been sued, but has denied knowing about Jeffries’ alleged misconduct. The New Albany, Ohio-based company was not charged in the criminal case.

Jeffries built Abercrombie into a popular clothing brand focused on teen shoppers, using splashy, sexually charged marketing that included ads with semi-nude models.

He resigned amid falling sales and criticism he was losing his touch in keeping up with customers’ changing tastes.