Former Abercrombie & Fitch CEO Mike Jeffries was arrested Tuesday morning in a sex-trafficking investigation, a year after being accused of sexually exploiting male models.
The 80-year-old fashion mogul was taken into custody along with his partner, Matt Smith, and another man, Jim Jacobson, a source told the Daily Beast.
The indictment, which comes out of the Eastern District of New York, alleges that Jeffries and two other associates abused aspiring male models between December 2008 and March 2015, a source told CNN.
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The victims were allegedly invited to sex-themed parties, where they were plied with drugs, alcohol and Viagra to perform sex acts, a second source told the outlet.
Federal prosecutors are set to hold a press conference at noon Tuesday.
The investigation was acknowledged by prosecutors in January after several alleged victims filed a lawsuit in 2023.
“Today’s arrests are monumental for the aspiring male models who were victimized by these individuals,” Brittany Henderson, an attorney who represented some of the alleged victims in the civil lawsuit, told The Daily Beast in a statement.
“Their fight for justice does not end here. We look forward to holding Abercrombie and Fitch liable for facilitating this terrible conduct and ensuring that this cannot happen again.”
Abercrombie declined to comment on the arrest.
Jeffries is expected to appear in Florida federal court Tuesday afternoon, CNN reported. He will be arraigned in Brooklyn at a later date.
The BBC published an investigation in 2023 claiming men were sexually “auditioned” by a middleman before they were introduced to Jeffries or Smith. The middleman, who was described in the report as “having a missing nose covered with a snakeskin patch,” was identified by the broadcaster as Jim Jacobson.
Male models alleged in the lawsuit that Jeffries used the promise of work at Abercrombie to lure them to destinations around the world where they were then coerced into sex with him or others.
The BBC claimed some of the alleged abuse took place at events held in luxurious hotels in Paris, Venice, and London, as well as in Jeffries’ New York residences.
Responding to the lawsuit, Jeffries’ lawyers previously said their client “vehemently denies every allegation made against him” in the complaint.
Jeffries left Abercrombie in 2014 after a 22-year tenure at the top of the company, a period marked by major success for the brand built in part by its provocative, sexually-charged advertising. Abercrombie declined to comment when contacted by The Daily Beast about the arrests.
When the BBC’s investigation was published, Abercrombie said it had asked a law firm to look into the allegations. It added that it was “appalled and disgusted” by Jeffries’ alleged behavior, saying the company has “zero tolerance for abuse, harassment or discrimination of any kind.”
“We will respond in detail to the allegations after the Indictment is unsealed, and when appropriate, but plan to do so in the courthouse – not the media,” Brian Bieber, an attorney for Jeffries, told ABC News on Tuesday.
