Former CEO of Abercrombie & Fitch Mike Jeffries arrested over twisted sex crimes

Ex-Abercrombie & Fitch CEO Mike Jeffries and his partner have been arrested over a twisted scheme to sexually exploit male models.

Warning: Graphic content

Former Abercrombie & Fitch CEO Mike Jeffries, his partner and a middleman preyed on and horrifically abused more than a dozen young aspiring male models as part of a twisted sex-trafficking and prostitution ring, federal prosecutors said on Tuesday.

Jeffries, 80, allegedly wielded his “power, wealth and his influence” to traffic scores of men for his own sexual pleasure for nearly a decade — often dangling the promise of modelling careers in their faces, according to the feds.

Paul Wilmot (left) and former Abercrombie & Fitch CEO, Mike Jeffries. Picture: Michael Loccisano/FilmMagic for Paul Wilmot Communications

The disgraced fashion boss — who infamously had shirtless young male lifeguards and models parading outside Abercrombie stores and events during his time at the helm of the company — worked the depraved trafficking scheme with his partner, Matthew Smith, 61, authorities said.

The pair used a “recruiter,” James Jacobson, 71, to lure their victims, including unsuspecting store workers and models, to sick sex parties across the world from 2008 to 2015, according to the indictment — unsealed after the trio was arrested earlier on Tuesday.

Jacobson — who was previously described by some accusers as missing part of his nose and covering the gap with snakeskin — “required that prospective candidates first participate in a sexual encounter or tryout, with” him, court papers say.

Smith then “approved” the candidates forwarded to him by Jacobson, who also was known as “Jim Jake,” “Mrs Cook’’ and “Todd,” the documents claim.

Some of the victims had to suffer through “the insertion of large sex toys into the anus; and high-pressured enemas administered by inserting a hose into the anus” as part of the attacks, the papers say.

James Dennehy, assistant director in charge of the FBI’s New York Field Office, attends a press conference on the arrest the US Attorney's office. Picture: Getty/AFP

Victims, who were as young as 19, were often plied with drugs, lubricants and prescription-grade erection-inducing injections during the sickening events, too, court papers allege.

Jeffries and Smith “on more than one occasion … either directed others to or personally injected men in their penises 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 documents say.

“These injections were not medically indicated and frequently caused the men to suffer painful physical reactions that lasted for several hours. Jeffries and Smith employed their use to fulfil their own sexual desired by causing men to submit to them,” the filing states.

In some instances, Jeffries and his co-accused would allegedly force the victims to wear costumes or use sex toys, and would personally shave their genitals in the lead-up to the so-called “sex events,” the feds said.

Carlos Ortiz, Deputy Chief at Detective Bureau Special Victims Division, speaks about the arrest. Picture: Getty/AFP

The so-called “sex events” allegedly unfolded at Jeffries’ posh pads in Manhattan and his Hamptons mansion in Watermill. Some victims were also jetted to hotels in the UK, France, Italy, Morocco and Saint Barthélémy or attacked on a “luxury international cruise ship,” the filing says.

At least two victims told the feds that when they first went with Jeffries to his Hamptons home, the bigwig businessman “subjected them to anal sex without their consent,” documents show.

“Multiple men have disclosed that Jeffries would hold their heads to force them to inhale poppers before sex acts,” the feds say in court papers.

“Jeffries and Smith spent millions of dollars to create a massive infrastructure that supported this operation,” the documents say.

“In addition to paying hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash to men for commercial sex, they also spent prolific amounts on a secret staff to run Sex Events, domestic and international travel and hotel rooms, Jacobson’s salary, and a full-service security company that oversaw nondisclosure agreements, conducted background checks and surveilled witnesses, among other things.”

“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 federal prison,” US Attorney Breon Peace said as he announced the charges.

“Sexually exploiting vulnerable human beings is a crime. And doing so by dangling dreams of a future in fashion and modelling is no different.”

Prosecutors said the charges relate to 15 “John Does” but noted the probe “encompassed dozens and dozens of men.’’

All three men have been charged with sex trafficking and interstate prostitution.

Jeffries and Smith were arrested in Florida and were due to make an initial court appearance later Tuesday in West Palm Beach. Jacobson was nabbed in Wisconsin and was due in court in St. Paul, Minn.

The sprawling indictment dropped roughly a year after the FBI started probing claims that Jeffries allegedly orchestrated the elaborate sex events to sexually abuse young male models during his 22-year tenure at the brand.

Jeffries — once one of the highest-paid CEOs in the country as he exploded the clothing brand using teen preppy sex appeal — left the company in 2014 with a retirement package worth around $25 million, the BBC said.

The claims against him first surfaced as part of an explosive BBC News report last year in which 12 men levelled disturbing allegations at the fashion honcho.

Jeffries, who left Abercrombie in 2014, denied the allegations at the time.

His lawyer, Brian Bieber, said in a statement to The Post on Tuesday, “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.”

In the wake of the BBC report, a class-action civil suit was filed in New York last year alleging that more than 100 men had been abused and that the fashion juggernaut turned a blind eye to Jeffries’ alleged misconduct.

David Bradberry, the lead plaintiff in the case and one of the dozen men who spoke to the BBC, alleged he felt pressured into having sex with Jeffries at one of his parties in his Hamptons mansion.

Bradberry, then 23 and an aspiring model, told the outlet that he “didn’t feel safe to say ‘no’ or ‘I don’t feel comfortable with this’” because of the home’s “secluded” location and presence of Jeffries’ staff — who all dressed in a uniform of head-to-toe A&F.

“I’m grateful to my lawyers for believing in me and for the steadfast resolve of law enforcement,” Bradberry told The Post in a statement after the charges were announced.

“I look forward to co-operating in the process to ensure those who harmed me and others are held accountable for what they did.”

In the wake of the arrests, lawyers Brad Edwards and Brittany Henderson, who represent the plaintiffs, said in a statement, “All four of the defendants, including Abercrombie & Fitch, have tried everything possible to delay our lawsuit from proceeding, presumably because they knew it would lead to criminal arrests.

“Despite their efforts, the arrests happened anyway, and we are looking forward to co-operating with law enforcement to make sure that the criminal and civil justice systems are successful in this prosecution,” they added.

If convicted of the sex-trafficking charge, the trio each face a maximum sentence of life imprisonment. If convicted on the prostitution charges, they face a max sentence of 20 years behind bars.

The feds are seeking for Smith to be held for trial and Jeffries and Jacobson put under home detention with ankle monitors. Jeffries would also have to pony up a $10 million bond and Jacobson $500,000.

The three are eventually expected to be extradited to New York to face trial.

This story was published by the New York Post and reproduced with permission

Originally published as Former CEO of Abercrombie & Fitch Mike Jeffries arrested over twisted sex crimes