Former Abercrombie CEO Mike Jeffries arrested in sex-trafficking case
The man who transformed a failing apparel brand into a multibillion dollar, teen lifestyle juggernaut was arrested Tuesday in connection with a federal sex-trafficking and interstate prostitution case.
Michael S. Jeffries, 80, was arrested in West Palm Beach, Fla., along with Matthew Smith, his romantic partner. A third person, James Jacobson, was also arrested on Tuesday, in Wisconsin, in connection with the case. Jeffries, Smith and Jacobson each face a single count of sex trafficking as well as 15 counts of interstate prostitution tied to 15 alleged victims. The 16-count indictment was announced on Tuesday by federal prosecutors in Brooklyn, N.Y.
The charges come a year after a BBC investigation and a proposed class-action lawsuit accused Jeffries of using the opportunity of modeling jobs at Abercrombie to lure young men to events around the world where they were sexually exploited.
At a press conference on Tuesday, U.S. Attorney Breon Peace said powerful people have for too long sexually abused young people who dream of careers in fashion and entertainment.
"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," Peace said.
Prosecutors said Jeffries and Smith paid for dozens of men to meet them for sex at their homes in Manhattan and in the Hamptons in Long Island, New York, as well as at hotels in places such as England, France, Italy, Morocco and St. Barts, reported Reuters. According to prosecutors, Jacobson typically conducted "tryouts," where male recruits as young as 19 would have sex with him before being referred to Jeffries and Smith, the report said.
The proposed class action suit led by a former Abercrombie model who took part in the BBC investigation, separately accused Abercrombie & Fitch of paying off people who accused Jeffries of sexual abuse or harassment.
“Jeffries was so important to the profitability of the brand that he was given complete autonomy to perform his role as CEO however he saw fit, including through the use of blatant international sex-trafficking and abuse of prospective Abercrombie models,” the suit reads.
Abercrombie told Chain Store Age in October 2023 that it does not comment on pending litigation. But the company, which has been rebranded to focus on inclusivity under current CEO Fran Horowitz, told the BBC last year that it was "appalled and disgusted" by Jeffries' alleged behavior. It also said new leadership has transformed the company and it has "zero tolerance for abuse, harassment or discrimination of any kind."
About Michael Jeffries
Jeffries led Abercrombie & Fitch from 1992 to 2014. Under his tenure, the brand became a mall staple with a devoted teen/young adult following. Known for its sexually-charged marketing, Abercrombie's calling card was its shirtless male models, who were featured in its quarterly catalogues, billboards, in-store graphics, shopping bags and working in its stores.
The brand was accused of being exclusionary, something that Jeffries did not deny and which led to numerous lawsuits. The CEO sparked controversy in a 2006 interview with Salon in which he said: “…good-looking people attract other good-looking people, and we want to market to cool, good-looking people. We don't market to anyone other than that."
In 2003, Black, Latino and Asian American employees filed a class action lawsuit against the retailer claiming that minority applicants were discouraged from applying for jobs.
As times — and fashion trends — changed, Abercrombie fell out of fashion. Jeffries abruptly resigned in December 2014 after 11 straight quarters of negative comparable-store sales and ongoing accusations of discrimination.
The transformed Abercrombie is currently flourishing as it continues to outperform most other specialty apparel retailers.
[READ MORE: Abercrombie & Fitch on fire as Q2 sales soar 21%]