Former Abercrombie & Fitch CEO Mike Jeffries has been accused of running an international sex trafficking operation in an explosive 16-count federal indictment.
Jeffries, 80, and his longtime partner, Matthew Smith, 61, were arrested in West Palm Beach on Tuesday. A third man, Jim Jacobson, was arrested in the same case in Wisconsin.
Federal prosecutors say they spoke with 15 male victims who claim the trio used the power they had thanks to Jeffries’ role at Abercrombie to run a prostitution operation between December 2008 and March 2015.
Jeffries worked as CEO of Abercrombie from 1992 to 2014.
The alleged victims say they were forcibly given erection medications and had their genitals shaved against their will, forced to wear disguises, and subjected to “high-pressure enemas.” Some victims were not homosexual and were given powerful erection-causing drugs so they could be forced to have homosexual sex against their will.
Former Abercrombie CEO Mike Jeffries and his partner Matthew Smith (left) are accused of recruiting men for sex parties and forcing them to perform sexual acts.
Jeffries worked as CEO of Abercrombie from 1992 to 2014.
Some of the men, identified as John Does in court documents, claim they were attacked even though they were heterosexual and forced to have gay sex.
Prosecutors say the victims were paid to travel to places including New York City, England, France, Italy, Morocco and St. Barthelemy to have sex with Jeffries, Smith and others.
Jeffries allegedly used a company he called Jeffries Family Office to hire domestic staff to “facilitate and supervise sexual events.”
Prosecutors say staff controlled entry and exit to sex parties and provided men who attended with muscle relaxants known as ‘poppers’, as well as lubricant, Viagra and condoms, among other items.
Staff also ordered the alleged victims to “wear costumes, use sex toys, or prepare for particular sexual acts,” according to court documents.
Smith and Jeffries are accused of injecting men’s penises with “a prescription erection-inducing substance” that caused painful reactions lasting hours to entice them to perform sexual acts.
The men said they were recruited by a middleman identified as James Jacobson, who denies any wrongdoing.
Jeffries poses in a T-shirt in Columbus, Ohio, on February 16, 1998. He is credited with transforming it into a favorite item of teen mall culture at the turn of the millennium.
The men were not informed of everything the events would entail, including some of the sexual practices they would be expected to perform, and were required to hand over their clothing and cell phones during the meetings and sign confidentiality agreements. later, the accusation said.
Jacobson is accused of traveling throughout the United States and abroad to recruit and interview men for sex parties. She allegedly used the nicknames ‘Jim Jake’, ‘Mrs. Cook’ and ‘Todd’.
According to the indictment, Jacobson would conduct “tests” on potential candidates by paying them to have sex with him. Under Smith’s direction, Jacobson also allegedly paid fees to people who recommended men for sex parties.
But prosecutors say the men were never told “the full extent and nature of the sexual activity that would be necessary,” which allegedly included “anal intercourse, the insertion of large sex toys into the anus, and high-pressure enemas administered by inserting a hose”. in the anus.’
Carlos Ortiz, deputy chief of the Detective Bureau’s Special Victims Division, speaks during a news conference at the U.S. Attorney’s office on October 22, 2024 in New York City.
The alleged victims say they believed attending sex parties could lead to modeling opportunities with Abercrombie and that their careers could suffer if they didn’t comply.
The sex parties incorporated Abercrombie products, and victims were given itineraries that made no mention of commercial sex and “resembled those often sent to models for photo shoots.”
When witnesses threatened to expose what was happening, Jeffries and Smith used a security company to monitor and intimidate them into silence, according to a letter prosecutors filed in court.
Barrett Pall, a former model turned life coach and activist, said he felt pressured to attend an event in the Hamptons in 2011.
“For anyone who thinks they can exploit and coerce others through the so-called casting system, this case should serve as a warning,” Brooklyn-based U.S. attorney Breon Peace said at a news conference.
‘The sexual exploitation of vulnerable human beings is a crime. And doing it by hanging dreams of a future in fashion or modeling… is no different,” he added.
James Dennehy, deputy director of the FBI’s New York office, called the allegations “abhorrent.”
Jeffries’ attorney, Brian Bieber, and Smith’s attorneys, Joseph Nascimento and David Raben, said by email that they would respond to the allegations in court.
Peace said prosecutors have “a lot of evidence,” including travel records, financial documents and testimony from accusers and witnesses.
All three defendants are due to appear later Tuesday in multiple courts: Jeffries and Smith in Florida, where they were detained, and Jacobson in St. Paul, Minnesota, after his arrest in Wisconsin.
Jeffries became CEO of Abercrombie & Fitch in 1992 and left in 2014. The New Albany, Ohio-based company, which also encompasses Hollister and other brands, declined to comment on his arrest.
Prosecutors do not allege that company resources or property were used in the alleged sexual scheme.
Jeffries’ reign at Abercrombie & Fitch was dominated by his controversial brand image and the equally controversial comments he made about his customer base.
Abercrombie said last year it had hired an outside law firm to conduct an independent investigation after the BBC reported similar allegations from a dozen men.
A lawsuit filed in New York last year accused Abercrombie of allowing Jeffries to run a sex trafficking ring during his 22 years in office, with model scouts looking for victims on the Internet. At the time, Bieber declined to comment on the allegations.
Abercrombie & Fitch traces its roots to a hunting and outdoor supply store founded in 1892. When Jeffries arrived a century later, the brand was also a retailer.
It is credited with transforming it into a darling of turn-of-the-millennium teen mall culture, known for its nouveau-preppy aesthetic and for sexy ads and in-store events featuring muscular, shirtless male models.