Federal authorities said they arrested and charged Tuesday the former CEO of Abercrombie & Fitch over accusations the ex-fashion executive ran an international sex trafficking ring that coerced aspiring male models into attending lewd parties and performing sexual favors to further their careers.
Prosecutors in New York said police took Mike Jeffries, 80, and the former CEO’s partner Matthew Smith, 61, into custody in West Palm Beach, Florida. The couple’s alleged accomplice who recruited the male models for the sex parties — Jim Jacobson, 71, of Rice Lake, Wisconsin — was also arrested in his home state.
The indictment alleged the sex trafficking ring, which operated from December 2008 to March 2015, flew victims all over the world to attend parties and perform sex acts.
Court documents said the former CEO hosted aspiring male models in New York City, the Hamptons on Long Island and in foreign countries including England, France, Italy and Morocco.
Mr. Jacobson, the alleged recruiter, was accused of having the male models perform sex acts on him as a “tryout” before they were then flown out to do the same for Mr. Jeffries and Mr. Smith.
“The defendants allegedly preyed on the hopes and dreams of their victims by exploiting, abusing, and silencing them to fulfill their own desires, with insidious secret intentions,” said James Dennehy, the FBI assistant director in charge of the agency’s New York Field Office. “This case is yet another example of individuals using their wealth, power, or reputation to manipulate and control others for their personal gratification.”
Court documents said the three defendants kept the aspiring models in the dark about the “sex events,” including what would be required of the male victims who did attend.
On multiple occasions, the indictment said Mr. Jeffries and Mr. Smith “violated the bodily integrity” of the male victims who didn’t consent to sex acts by subjecting them to “invasive sexual and violent contact by body parts and other objects.”
Prosecutors said Mr. Jeffries and Mr. Smith injected the male models with erection-inducing substances so the victims would perform sex acts on others against their will.
The accused also convinced the models that showing up to the events would benefit their careers, and that not performing certain acts at the events would hurt their chances to advance, according to the indictment.
Mr. Jeffries was the CEO for Abercrombie from 1992 to 2014.
The BBC last year reported that multiple men said they were exploited at the sex parties that were held from 2009-15.
The men shared that they unwillingly took part in some of the sex acts for Mr. Jeffries and his partner, Mr. Smith.
Abercrombie said it was “appalled and disgusted” by the allegations in the BBC report at the time.
If convicted of both charges, the defendants could spend the rest of their lives in prison.
• Matt Delaney can be reached at mdelaney@washingtontimes.com.
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