• by Tanya Gazdik , October 23, 2024

A former Abercrombie & Fitch executive had been indicted along with his romantic partner and an associate for allegedly operating a sex trafficking and interstate prostitution ring.

“Abercrombie & Fitch has spent years trying to scrub the memory of longtime former CEO Mike Jeffries and the associated sexualized marketing campaigns with shirtless male models that he crafted,” according to CNN Business. “Since Jeffries exited as CEO in 2014 after more than two decades, Abercrombie ditched the perfume-drenched stores, models and logoed sweatshirts that defined the brand during his tenure. The brand made these moves to appeal to customers that had turned away from Abercrombie.”

Jeffries’ role at Abercrombie and the brand’s use of male models in advertising was central to the allegations.

The indictment alleges that Jeffries and his partners organized “sex events” in England, France, Italy, Morocco, St. Barts, New York City and the Hamptons.

Jeffries, 80, his partner Matt Smith, 61, and their employee James Jacobson, 71 employed coercive, fraudulent and deceptive tactics in connection with the recruitment, hiring, transportation, obtaining, maintaining, solicitation and payment of the men to engage in commercial sex, according to the indictment. 

“The men who attended the events were led to believe that it could lead to modeling opportunities or help their careers or ‘that not complying with requests for certain acts during the Sex Events could harm their careers,’ the indictment alleges,” according to NBC News.

The three defendants are charged with sex trafficking and interstate prostitution involving 15 unnamed accusers.

“The turn-of-the-century fashion mogul is accused of using his position to lure in and sexually abuse aspiring male models, who prosecutors said feared their careers would fall apart if they rebuffed his alleged perversions,” according to Fox News.

“The men weren’t told ahead of time what sexual practices they’d be expected to engage in — indeed, some itineraries simply resembled those for models’ photo shoots — and they were required to sign non-disclosure agreements, the indictment said,” according to The Associated Press. “The defendants duped the men — at least one as young as 19, and some of them former Abercrombie store workers — into thinking they’d get Abercrombie modeling gigs, or that refusing to engage in the sexual encounters could harm their prospects, prosecutors said in court documents.”

For the first time since their arrests, the company also commented publicly on the matter Wednesday.

"As we shared when the accusations were first made public in October 2023, we are appalled and disgusted by the alleged behavior of Mr. Jeffries, whose employment with Abercrombie & Fitch Co. ended nearly ten years ago," the company stated in an Instagram post. "Speaking up and coming forward is not easy, and our thoughts remain with those who have bravely raised their voices as part of the federal investigation.For close to a decade, we have successfully transformed our brands and culture into the values-driven organization we are today.We have zero tolerance for abuse, harassment or discrimination of any kind, and are committed to fully cooperating with law enforcement as the legal process continues.”