Former Abercrombie & Fitch CEO Mike Jeffries was arrested Tuesday morning on sex-trafficking charges that allege he paid dozens of men to fly out to extravagant “Sex Events” around the world from New York to Morocco and St. Barts.
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. Smith’s arrest comes a year after he was accused of sexually exploiting male models in a lawsuit.
The indictment, filed in the Eastern District of New York and obtained by the Daily Beast, alleges that Jeffries and Smith had sex with aspiring male models between December 2008 and March 2015 after Jacobson traveled “throughout the United States and internationally” to recruit them.
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Part of that recruitment, prosecutors alleged, saw Jacobson pressure men into performing sex acts on him—something prosecutors described as a “tryout”— before they were allowed to attend the so-called sex events with Smith and Jeffries.
The group also are accused of operating a sick “referral system” that rewarded models who recruited others to meet with Jacobson—oftentimes lying about the true nature of the meeting to reap benefits.
Prosecutors claimed that some victims were led to believe they’d receive modeling opportunities at Abercrombie if they complied with the trio’s sexual demands. On the inverse, Jeffries is also accused of threatening to end the modeling careers of men if they didn’t comply.
To convince models to participate in sex acts, including some who said they were heterosexual, the trio allegedly spoke of “modeling opportunities that did not exist.” This was after they’d allegedly give aspiring models “itineraries for the Sex Events that did not refer to commercial sex.”
Once at the parties, prosecutors said security was hired to control who went in an out. Inside, men were allegedly ordered to “wear costumes,” “use sex toys to prepare for particular sexual acts,” and alter their appearance for Smith and Jeffries. On some occasions, victims were allegedly injected with a “prescription-grade erection-inducing substance for the purpose of causing the men to engage in sex acts in which they were otherwise physically incapable or unwilling.”
The indictment said parties would continue until “Jeffries and Smith decided they were over,” with others not permitted to leave at any time they wished. Phones were allegedly not permitted inside the sex event, and the indictment said attendees were required to sign a strict non-disclosure agreement afterwards.
Prosecutors said victims were forced to consume alcohol, Viagra, and muscle relaxants known as “poppers.” The sex parties allegedly took place in New York City, but also at locations in England, France, Italy, Morocco, and Saint Barthelemy.
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.
