Former Abercrombie and Fitch CEO Mike Jeffries is arrested for sex trafficking

Former Abercrombie and Fitch CEO Mike Jeffries has been arrested for activity trafficking and interstate prostitution. 

Jeffries, 80, and his British partner Matthew Smith, 61, were arrested successful West Palm Beach connected Thursday, according to ABC News. A 3rd man, Jim Jacobson, was arrested successful nan aforesaid lawsuit successful Wisconsin.

The 3 men are accused of sexually exploiting and abusing young men astatine parties they hosted successful nan US and astir nan world. 

Prosecutors successful the Eastern District of New York said successful January they had launched a criminal probe aft several men publically claimed they were abused by Jeffries and his partner.

Jeffries and his long-time fellow were past twelvemonth accused successful a bombshell BBC documentary of engaging successful activity trafficking betwixt 2009 and 2015. They person denied nan allegations.

The partners are expected to look successful national tribunal later connected Tuesday. 

Accusers Barrett Pall and David Bradberry claimed they were recruited for 'modelling opportunities' through a middleman - Jacobson - but recovered themselves sexually exploited.

More than a dozen men have said they were approached and coerced into attending activity parties curated for Jeffries' entertainment.

A lawyer for Jeffries has antecedently said 'We will respond successful item to nan allegations aft nan indictment is unsealed, and erstwhile appropriate, but scheme to do truthful successful nan courthouse—not nan media.'

The BBC said it has corroborated nan accounts pinch emails, formation tickets and recreation itineraries, arsenic good arsenic erstwhile members of Jeffries' family staff.

Jacobson, described by 1 man arsenic having a 'snakeskin spot nose', is alleged to person acted arsenic a middleman, uncovering men for activity events and propositioning them for oral activity successful twisted 'auditions.'

He has denied immoderate wrongdoing, telling nan BBC he took offence astatine nan proposal of 'any coercive, deceptive aliases forceful behaviour connected my part', adding that each brushwood he had was 'fully consensual.'

In October, accuser Bradberry launched a suit against nan retailer complete nan couple's alleged misdeeds.

Bradberry revenge nan suit successful nan U.S. District Court for nan Southern District of New York, alleging that Jeffries had modeling scouts scouring nan net and elsewhere to place charismatic young men seeking to beryllium nan adjacent look of Abercrombie.

Often these prospective models became sex-trafficking victims, sent to New York and overseas and abused by Jeffries and different men, each nether nan guise that they were being recruited to go nan adjacent Abercrombie model, nan suit contends.

'Jeffries was truthful important to nan profitability of nan marque that he was fixed complete autonomy to execute his domiciled arsenic CEO nevertheless he saw fit, including done nan usage of blatant world sex-trafficking and maltreatment of prospective Abercrombie models,' nan suit alleges.

Attorneys for nan victims of nan people action suit said connected Tuesday that 'today’s arrests are monumental for nan aspiring antheral models who were victimized by these individuals.'

'We look guardant to holding Abercrombie and Fitch liable for facilitating this unspeakable behaviour and ensuring that this cannot hap again,' nan connection added. 

Abercrombie has antecedently said it is 'appalled and disgusted' by nan allegations against Jeffries. 

Jeffries, who near Abercrombie successful 2014, converted nan concatenation from an struggling retailer of hunting apparel to a seller of must-have teen clothing. But he faced disapproval for nan company’s sexualized marketing, including advertisements and beefy models that alienated imaginable customers who didn’t fresh into its image.

While Jeffries is still legally joined to his woman of complete 40 years Susan Jeffries, he has reportedly been successful a narration pinch Smith for complete 20 years.

Men who said on BBC's World of Secrets podcast said they were molested astatine activity events held successful expansive edifice rooms and moreover injected pinch what they were told was 'liquid Viagra' - to which 1 personification suffered a terrible reaction.

In addition, 1 alleged maltreatment subsister claimed 1 of Jeffries' assistants had been moving for A&F arsenic he supervised nan activity events - reportedly utilizing a institution email address.

The 8 men who said to nan BBC opportunity they were exploited by Jeffries and Smith, who person denied nan allegations.

One man, fixed nan sanction Luke to protect his identity, said he was recruited from a modelling website and guided into a edifice suite successful Spain that had been dressed up to lucifer an A&F shop successful a twisted roleplay scenario.

He claimed he was encouraged to enactment arsenic 1 of nan store's infamous shirtless greeters to impressment 'two very important guests' - Jeffries and Smith - who past forcibly kissed him and tried to execute oral activity connected him.

Luke recalled: 'I was trying to debar nan full business arsenic overmuch arsenic I could, but Michael was very aggressive. I tried to opportunity nary repeatedly. I perpetually was saying no.'

However, he felt incapable to time off arsenic assistants were 'watching (the) exits'. An adjunct from Jeffries' backstage agency had interviewed him connected Skype for what he believed was going to beryllium a photoshoot.

His recreation and accommodation was paid for, and he was fixed €3,500 successful rate and made to motion a non-disclosure agreement.

'There's an immense magnitude of shame associated pinch this thought that you're not a masculine man if you've been molested aliases taken advantage of by different man,' Luke, who identifies arsenic straight, told nan podcast.

Another attendee named Chris said he was injected successful nan penis pinch what we was told was 'liquid Viagra' by 1 of Jeffries' assistants, who was not medically trained.

He suffered a reaction, emotion 'hot, dizzy' and successful daze aft he was allegedly injected successful a Manhattan townhouse that erstwhile belonged to nan manner boss.

However, he claimed cipher called an ambulance. Instead, Jeffries and Smith are alleged to person tried to person activity pinch him.