Former CEO Mike Jeffries, along with his partner Matthew Smith and their associate James Jacobson, allegedly employed a “casting couch” tactic to manipulate aspiring male models into attending sex parties where victims were intoxicated with alcohol and drugs.
These individuals were taken to the homes of Mr. Jeffries and Mr. Smith, as well as to locations in Britain, France, Italy, and Morocco, where some men were administered Viagra and muscle relaxants, prosecutors reported.
“The indictment claims that on multiple occasions, when men did not or were unable to consent, Mr. Jeffries and Mr. Smith infringed upon the bodily integrity of these men through invasive sexual and violent interactions,” US Attorney Breon Peace stated during a media briefing.
Breon Peace indicated that he lacked evidence showing the misconduct occurred on corporate property.
The trio, who also face charges of interstate prostitution, utilized “force, fraud, and coercion to traffic these men for their sexual gratification,” Mr. Peace remarked.
“The defendants used a referral system in their interview process that did not disclose the details of the sex events before the men attended, including the full extent and nature of the sexual activities they would be expected to engage in,” the attorney continued.
“They led the men to believe that participation in these sex events could result in modeling opportunities with Abercrombie,” he added.
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Abercrombie and Fitch is “appalled and disgusted”
Fifteen unnamed victims were referenced in the charging documents, but prosecutors indicated that the scale of the alleged misconduct likely extends far beyond this and urged any witnesses or victims to come forward.
“The arrests made today represent a significant development for the aspiring male models who were victimized by these individuals,” said Brittany Henderson, an attorney for the victims of the alleged crimes.
“Their pursuit of justice continues. We anticipate holding Abercrombie and Fitch accountable for enabling this egregious behavior and ensuring that it does not happen again,” she added in a statement to AFP.
This case originated from a 2023 BBC investigation titled “The Abercrombie Guys: The Dark Side of Cool,” where several men discussed signing non-disclosure agreements for sex events allegedly organized by Mr. Jeffries.
Abercrombie and Fitch has previously expressed being “appalled and disgusted” by the allegations against Mr. Jeffries and maintains a “zero tolerance policy for abuse, harassment, or discrimination of any kind.”
Mr. Jeffries departed from Abercrombie in 2014 with a severance package valued at $25 million, as indicated by corporate records.
Mr. Peace mentioned that he did not possess evidence showing the alleged misconduct took place on company premises.
Mr. Jeffries and Mr. Smith are scheduled to appear in federal court in West Palm Beach, Florida, while Mr. Jacobson was apprehended in Wisconsin and will make his initial court appearance in federal court in Saint Paul, Minnesota.
