Former Abercrombie & Fitch CEO charged with operating sex-trafficking ring
Al Jazeera
Abercrombie’s Mike Jeffries and associates lured dozens of young men into sex acts from 2008-2015, says indictment.
Mike Jeffries, former chief executive of the US clothing company Abercrombie & Fitch, has been arrested for alleged sex trafficking and interstate prosecution following weeks of speculation over allegations of professional misconduct.
Law enforcement officials announced the arrest of Jeffries in a press conference Tuesday, alleging the fashion executive oversaw a years-long enterprise that lured and exploited young men looking for a break in the fashion world.
Jeffries’ romantic partner, Matthew Smith, and associate James Jacobsen were also arrested for their alleged role in the enterprise.
The three men are due in United States federal court in Florida and Wisconsin on Tuesday, after which they will be indicted in the eastern district of New York.
US Attorney Breon Peace, announcing the charges at a press conference in New York, said the case should “serve as a warning … to anyone who thinks they can exploit and coerce others by using the so-called ‘casting couch’ system”.
