The former head of fashion brand Abercrombie & Fitch was arrested on charges of sex trafficking and interstate prostitution. Mike Jeffries was arrested in West Palm Beach, Florida, along with two others, James Jacobson and Matthew Smith. They will appear in federal court on Tuesday in Florida but will be arraigned in New York.
After the arrest, Jeffries’ attorney Brian Bieber said, per NBC, “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.” Jeffries is in his late 70s. When he stepped down in 2014, the stock went up.
Jeffries, who was the CEO of the Abercrombie & Fitch stores and label from 1992-2014, had previously been revealed by the BBC to have hosted sex parties during the years 2009-2015. Some men who attended these parties claimed to have been exploited and some said they didn’t participate willingly, the BBC reported.
Twelve men had come forward for the report to tell the outlet about how and where the parties were held. The men said that at these parties they performed sex acts that were witnessed by Jeffries and Smith. They claimed that they went to the parties because they believed they’d been promised modeling contracts with Abercrombie & Fitch.
When that reporting was made public, Abercrombie & Fitch distanced itself from Jeffries, saying that the company was “appalled and disgusted” by the accusations leveled by the BBC and the 12 men. Jeffries’ attorney at the time said Jeffries would not comment on the matter.
Despite the company’s protestations, the brand was civilly sued by men who alleged that the company knew about the parties but did nothing about it. A lawyer representing those who brought a class action suit against Abercrombie & Fitch praised the arrests, saying “Today’s arrests are monumental for the aspiring male models who were victimized by these individuals.”