Former Abercrombie & Fitch CEO Mike Jeffries has been accused of moving an world activity trafficking cognition successful a bombshell 16-count national indictment.
Jeffries, 80, and his longtime partner Matthew Smith, 61, were arrested successful West Palm Beach connected Tuesday. A 3rd man, Jim Jacobson, was arrested successful nan aforesaid lawsuit successful Wisconsin.
Federal prosecutors opportunity they said pinch 15 antheral victims who declare nan trio utilized nan power they held acknowledgment to Jeffries' domiciled astatine Abercrombie to tally a adultery cognition betwixt December 2008 and March 2015.
Jeffries worked arsenic nan CEO for Abercrombie betwixt 1992 and 2014.
The alleged victims opportunity they were forcibly fixed erection narcotics and had their genitals shaved against their will, were made to dress up and subjected to 'high-pressure enemas.' Some victims were not cheery and were fixed nan powerful erection-causing narcotics truthful they could beryllium forced into cheery activity against their will.
Former Abercrombie CEO Mike Jeffries and his partner Matthew Smith (left) are accused of recruiting men for activity parties and coercing them into intersexual acts
Jeffries worked arsenic nan CEO for Abercrombie betwixt 1992 and 2014
Some of nan men, identified arsenic John Does successful tribunal documents, declare they were targeted moreover though they were consecutive and forced to person cheery sex.
Prosecutors opportunity nan victims were paid to recreation to places including New York City, England, France, Italy, Morocco and Saint Barthelemy to person activity pinch Jeffries, Smith and others.
Jeffries allegedly utilized a institution he named nan Jeffries Family Office to enlistee family unit to 'facilitate and supervise nan Sex Events.'
Prosecutors opportunity nan unit controlled nan introduction and exit to nan activity parties and provided nan men who attended pinch musculus relaxants known arsenic 'poppers,' arsenic good arsenic lubricant, Viagra and condoms, among different items.
The unit besides directed alleged victims to 'wear costumes, usage activity toys aliases hole for peculiar intersexual acts,' according to tribunal documents.
Smith and Jeffries are accused of injecting men successful their penises pinch 'a prescription-grade erection-inducing substance' that caused painful, hourslong reactions to get them to prosecute successful activity acts.
The men said they were recruited by a middleman identified arsenic James Jacobson, who denies immoderate wrongdoing
Jeffries poses pinch a garment successful Columbus, Ohio, successful February 16, 1998. He was credited pinch transforming it into a darling of turn-of-the-millennium teen promenade culture
The men weren’t informed of each that nan events would entail, including immoderate of nan intersexual practices they’d beryllium expected to prosecute in, and they were required to springiness up their apparel and compartment phones during nan gatherings and motion non-disclosure agreements afterward, nan indictment said.
Jacobson is accused of travelling successful nan US and overseas to enlistee and question and reply men for nan activity parties. He allegedly utilized nan nicknames 'Jim Jake,' 'Mrs. Cook' and 'Todd.'
According to nan indictment, Jacobson would behaviour 'tryouts' pinch imaginable candidates by paying them for activity pinch him. At nan guidance of Smith, Jacobson besides allegedly paid fees to individuals who referred men for nan activity parties.
But prosecutors opportunity nan men were ne'er told 'the afloat grade and quality of nan intersexual activity that would beryllium required' which allegedly included 'anal intercourse, nan insertion of ample activity toys into nan anus, and high-pressured enemas administered by inserting a hose into nan anus.'
Carlos Ortiz, Deputy Chief astatine Detective Bureau Special Victims Division, speaks during a property convention astatine nan US Attorney's agency connected October 22, 2024 successful New York City
The alleged victims opportunity they believed attending nan activity parties could supply them pinch exemplary opportunities pinch Abercrombie and that their careers could suffer if they did not comply.
The activity parties incorporated Abercrombie products, pinch victims being fixed itineraries for it that did not mention commercialized activity and 'resembled those often sent to models for photograph shoots.'
When witnesses threatened to expose what was going on, Jeffries and Smith utilized a information institution to surveil and intimidate them into silence, according to a missive that prosecutors revenge successful court.
Barrett Pall, a erstwhile exemplary turned life coach and activist, said he felt pressured into attending an arena successful nan Hamptons successful 2011
'To anyone who thinks they tin utilization and coerce others by utilizing nan alleged casting sofa system, this lawsuit should service arsenic a warning,' Brooklyn-based U.S. lawyer Breon Peace said astatine a news conference.
'Sexually exploiting susceptible quality beings is simply a crime. And doing truthful by dangling dreams of a early successful manner aliases modeling ... is nary different,' he added.
James Dennehy, nan adjunct head of nan FBI’s New York office, called nan allegations 'abhorrent.'
Jeffries’ attorney, Brian Bieber, and Smith’s lawyers, Joseph Nascimento and David Raben, said by email they would respond to nan allegations successful court.
Peace said prosecutors person 'a batch of evidence,' including recreation records, financial documents and grounds from accusers and witnesses.
All 3 defendants are owed later Tuesday successful various courts — Jeffries and Smith successful Florida, wherever they were taken into custody, and Jacobson successful St. Paul, Minnesota, aft his apprehension successful Wisconsin.
Jeffries became CEO of Abercrombie & Fitch successful 1992 and near successful 2014. The New Albany, Ohio-based company, which besides encompasses Hollister and different brands, declined to remark connected his arrest.
Prosecutors don’t allege that nan company’s resources aliases spot were utilized successful nan alleged activity scheme.
Jeffries' reign astatine Abercrombie & Fitch was dominated by its arguable marque image and nan arsenic arguable remarks he made astir his customer base
Abercrombie past twelvemonth said it had hired an extracurricular rule patient to behaviour an independent investigation aft nan BBC reported connected akin allegations from a twelve men.
A suit revenge successful New York past twelvemonth accused Abercrombie of allowing Jeffries to tally a sex-trafficking statement during his 22-year tenure, pinch modeling scouts scouring nan net for victims. At nan time, Bieber declined to remark connected nan allegations.
Abercrombie & Fitch traces its roots to a hunting and outdoors equipment shop that was founded successful 1892. By nan clip Jeffries arrived a period later, nan marque was a unit also-ran.
He was credited pinch transforming it into a darling of turn-of-the-millennium teen promenade culture, known for its nouveau-preppy artistic — and for its sexy ads and shop events featuring shirtless, muscular antheral models.