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Former Abercrombie CEO and 2 others charged with sex trafficking and interstate prostitution in NY
By
Giulia Heyward
Published Oct 22, 2024
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BERTRAND GUAY/AFP via Getty Images
By
Giulia Heyward
Published Oct 22, 2024
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Mike Jeffries, the former CEO of Abercrombie & Fitch, was indicted on sex trafficking and interstate prostitution charges in New York, federal prosecutors announced on Tuesday.
Jeffries, 80, his partner Matthew Smith, 61 and recruiter James Jacobson, 71, were accused of using “force, fraud and coercion” to traffic men, many of whom were aspiring models, for commercial sex acts between December 2008 and March 2015, officials said.
“To anyone who thinks they can exploit and coerce others by using the so-called casting couch system, this case should serve as a warning: prepare to trade that couch for a bed in a federal prison,” U.S. Attorney Breon Peace said at a press conference on Tuesday.
The 16-count indictment, unsealed in federal court in Central Islip, alleges that Jeffries and Smith employed Jacobson to recruit, interview and hire men to perform sexual acts for the pair. Jacobson allegedly traveled across the country and internationally, including to New York City and the Hamptons, to find men to participate in what prosecutors describe as “sex events.” The indictment also alleges that Jacobson would often require candidates to engage in sex acts with him during “tryouts.”
Attorneys for Jeffries and Smith declined to comment. Jacobson's attorney did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Jeffries, who was the CEO of Abercrombie from 1992 to 2014, and Smith are accused of leveraging Jeffries’ “financial resources” and power to operate a prostitution ring, employing a network of recruiters, employees, contractors and security personnel to maintain secrecy, authorities said.
“These 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,” FBI Assistant Director in Charge Dennehy said in a statement.
Federal prosecutors allege that Jeffries and Smith coerced men by making them believe participation in the sex events could lead to modeling opportunities with Abercrombie or help their careers, while refusal could hurt their professional prospects. Some of the victims were made to sign non-disclosure agreements, relinquish personal items like phones and wallets and were subjected to invasive and violent sexual acts when they did not or could not consent, authorities said.
According to the indictment, some victims, including one as young as 19, had previously worked at Abercrombie or had modeled for the retailer. The indictment also details allegations of the men being injected with erection-inducing substances "to engage in sex acts the men were incapable or unwilling to engage in."
Jeffries and Jacobson were arrested Tuesday morning and released on bond with an arraignment date for Friday in the Eastern District of New York. Smith was ordered detained.
If convicted of the sex trafficking charges, each defendant faces a mandatory minimum of 15 years in prison and up to life imprisonment. The charges of interstate prostitution carry a maximum sentence of 20 years.
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new york state
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Giulia Heyward
Giulia Heyward is a breaking news reporter on the Day-Of desk. She previously worked at NPR, as a breaking news reporter, and the New York Times, as a reporting fellow on the national desk. Her work has also appeared in CNN, The Atlantic and Politico. Got a tip? Email [email protected] or more securely on signal at 917-715-1458.
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