Former Abercrombie & Fitch CEO Mike Jeffries arrested, charged in sex-trafficking case

Mike Jeffries is accused of using his status to coerce aspiring models into having sex with him and his romantic partner.

Mike Jeffries used hypersexualised marketing and shirtless male models to create buzz for Abercrombie & Fitch. Prosecutors say he was also using his status to coerce aspiring models into having sex with him and his romantic partner.

Jeffries, 80 years old, was arrested Tuesday and charged with running an international sex-trafficking ring while he was Abercrombie’s chief executive, according to a federal indictment that listed 15 John Doe victims.

Then Abercrombie & Fitch CEO Mike Jeffries pictured in 2009.

The indictment alleges that from 2008 to 2015, Jeffries pressured models into attending sex parties in locations around the world, paying the men for their involvement and plying them with muscle relaxants, Viagra, lubricants and sex toys.

Prosecutors from the Brooklyn U.S. attorney’s office, which brought the case, said Jeffries misled some of his victims into thinking they were attending modelling shoots rather than sex parties. The executive went so far as to include Abercrombie products in the sex parties, they said. Some of his victims felt pressured to participate to avoid harming their careers, according to the indictment.

“To anyone who thinks they can exploit or coerce others by using the so-called casting-couch system, this case should serve as a warning,” said Brooklyn U.S. Attorney Breon Peace. “Prepare to trade that couch for a bed in federal prison.” Brian Bieber, a lawyer for Jeffries, said his client would respond to the allegations “in the courthouse – not the media.” Matthew Smith, Jeffries’ longtime romantic partner, and James Jacobson, an employee of the couple, were also arrested and charged with 16 criminal counts, including sex trafficking and interstate prostitution.

A lawyer for Smith said he would respond to the indictment in court. An attorney for Jacobson declined to comment.

Breon Peace, US Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, arrives for a press conference at the US Attorney's office. Picture: Getty Images via AFP.

The arrests follow a BBC investigation in 2023 and a civil lawsuit where male models alleged that Jeffries used promises of a job at Abercrombie to lure young men to locations around the world and coerced them to have sex with him and others.

Abercrombie said in 2023 that it had hired an outside law firm to conduct an independent investigation into the allegations and that the company was “appalled and disgusted” by them. The company declined to comment Tuesday.

Federal prosecutors allege that Jeffries relied on a network of employees, contractors and security personnel to operate the sex-trafficking ring and keep his prostitution business a secret. The sex parties occurred in his New York residences, as well as at hotels in England, France, Italy and Morocco.

On some occasions, the indictment says, Jeffries and Smith “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.” Jacobson, the employee, was tasked with recruiting, interviewing and hiring men for the parties, according to prosecutors. Jacobson would hold tryouts with recruits, requiring the victims to first have sex with him, the indictment says.

The three defendants used burner phones to communicate, required victims to sign nondisclosure agreements and employed a security company to surveil and intimidate witnesses who threatened to expose their illegal acts, prosecutors said.

A civil lawsuit was brought in 2023 by David Bradberry, who alleged that Jeffries victimised men with the help of a network of co-conspirators that included the retailer, Abercrombie, and Smith, who attended Abercrombie events and meetings. The suit estimated that “dozens and likely over a hundred young models” were victims. Bradberry’s lawyers also represented Jeffrey Epstein’s accusers.

“As we have said in our lawsuit, this is clear sex trafficking of the most heinous kind,” said Brad Edwards, a lawyer representing Jeffries’ accusers. “These arrests are a huge step toward justice for the many victims.” Jeffries and Smith were arrested in Florida, while Jacobson was arrested in Wisconsin. Prosecutors asked a judge in a court filing to require Jeffries to post a $10 million bond to secure his release. Smith should be detained ahead of trial because he isn’t a U.S. citizen and was a flight risk, they said.

Jeffries took the helm of Abercrombie in 1992, when it was part of Leslie Wexner’s retail empire, which included Victoria’s Secret. Wexner hired the retail veteran to revamp what was then a money-losing brand that he had purchased in 1988. Wexner also hired Epstein as his financial adviser, a decision he later said was a mistake.

Under Jeffries’ leadership, Abercrombie created a “Look Book” of rules for stores and hired college students to staff them. The company used sexually themed ads and shirtless male greeters to create a cult following with teens, who clamoured for its logo-emblazoned T-shirts and sweatshirts.

The business boomed for several years, hitting annual sales of $4.5 billion in fiscal 2013, up from less than $1 billion before 2000. Jeffries stepped down as CEO in December 2014 following a string of poor results.

Executives at Abercrombie, which also owns the Hollister brand, have worked to reinvent the Abercrombie brand since Jeffries’ departure. Since 2017, the CEO has been Fran Horowitz. The company’s business has enjoyed a resurgence by distancing itself from its racy past. It did away with shirtless male models.

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