Former Abercrombie & Fitch CEO Mike Jeffries Arrested For Sex Trafficking.

Mike Jeffries, the former CEO of Abercrombie & Fitch along with his his partner Matthew Smith was arrested on Tuesday as they were accused of running a prostitution and international sex trafficking business, according to BBC News. 

Jeffries, Smith and their alleged middleman, James Jacobson were charged with using force,  fraud and coercion to engage in violent and exploitative sexual acts for several years. The FBI started investigating last year after a BBC report revealed claims of sexual exploitation and abuse.

US Attorney Breon Peace said that Jeffries used his wealth and power to traffic men for his own sexual pleasure and Smith’s as well. They allegedly employed Jacobson to recruit men worldwide who were flown to Jeffries’ New York home.

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Prosecutors claim the men were pressured to consume alcohol, Viagra and muscle relaxants. Some were injected with erection-inducing substances without consent. There are 15 victims mentioned in the indictment but authorities believe dozens more were involved.

However, Jeffries was released on a $10 million bond while Jacobson was released on a $500,000 bond. Smith was detained and Abercrombie & Fitch declined to comment on this matter. The civil lawyer representing some alleged victims praised the arrests saying they were a huge step towards justice. The BBC’s investigation found a sophisticated operation involving recruiters and middlemen.

The allegations against Jeffries and Smith date back to 2009-2015. Men were misled about the nature of events or not told sex was involved. Some were promised modelling opportunities with Abercrombie & Fitch and used the firm name to exploit people at large using them for sex trafficking and other obscene and criminal acts.

Abercrombie & Fitch announced an independent investigation into the allegations last year but has not provided an update yet as per BBC News. The company is trying to dismiss a civil lawsuit arguing it did not know the alleged sex-trafficking venture. Jeffries stepped down as CEO in 2014 amid declining sales and controversy surrounding his leadership. He received a $25 million retirement package.

Abercrombie & Fitch (A&F) is a US clothing company based in New Albany, Ohio. They sell modern clothes and have three smaller brands: Abercrombie Kids (for children), Hollister Co. and Gilly Hicks. As of 2020, A&F has 854 stores worldwide across all its brands.

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Michael Jeffries was the head of Abercrombie & Fitch clothing company from 1992 to 2014. He turned the company around during his time from losing $25 million yearly to making $2 billion yearly by 2006. However, his advertising methods were controversial including using partially naked models, slogans that were offensive to some people and marketing only to “cool kids.”