By tf-lawyer.com Former Abercrombie & Fitch CEO Mike Jeffries and his partner, Matthew Smith, along with an employee, James Jacobson, were arrested and charged on October 22nd for alleged involvement in sex trafficking. The accusations include enticing young men with promises of modeling jobs and luring them into drug-fueled sex parties.
The Department of Justice filed the charges in federal court in Brooklyn, New York, revealing that the couple and Jacobson exploited Jeffries’ position as a high-profile CEO, along with his wealth and staff, to facilitate a global sex trafficking and prostitution operation to satisfy their sexual desires.
Federal prosecutor Breon Peace emphasized that those who exploit others under the guise of leveraging personal connections for career opportunities need to learn a serious lesson from this case. He remarked, “Exploiting vulnerable individuals for sex is a crime. Luring them with the promise of a bright future in fashion or modeling is equally reprehensible.” FBI New York Assistant Director James Dennehy described the defendants’ actions as “disgusting.”
The crimes detailed by prosecutors mirror allegations made by several young victims in previous sexual assault lawsuits. The charges claim that Jeffries promised modeling opportunities and then coerced these individuals into sexual acts to meet the defendants’ demands.
Attorneys for Jeffries and Smith, Brian Bieber and Joseph Nascimento, respectively, along with David Raben representing Jacobson, responded to media inquiries by stating, “The truth will come out in court.” Jacobson has stated that he was neither involved in nor aware of any coercive or deceptive actions.
The three defendants appeared in court shortly after their arrests, with Jeffries and Smith taken into custody in Florida, while Jacobson was apprehended in Wisconsin. They face charges of sex trafficking and interstate prostitution, with evidence from 15 alleged victims.
According to the indictment, from 2008 to 2015, the defendants allegedly financed the coercion of dozens of men into prostitution at hotels in New York, the UK, France, Italy, and St. Barts in the Caribbean, targeting both them and other men. Victims reportedly faced coercive circumstances, including drug use, and were subjected to humiliating situations involving lubricants, condoms, provocative outfits, and sex toys, as well as the injection of painful drugs designed to induce prolonged erections, along with signing non-disclosure agreements beforehand.
