Former Abercrombie & Fitch CEO Mike Jeffries and an alleged accomplice pleaded not guilty to sex trafficking and interstate prostitution charges. Jeffries remains under house confinement with GPS monitoring, while his co-defendant James Jacobson is also subject to GPS monitoring and a bail of $500,000. Jeffries’ partner, Matthew Smith, is also facing charges and must remain in jail until his bail arrangements are finalized. The trio is accused of running an international sex trafficking and prostitution business from 2008 to 2015, organizing “sex events” in various locations. They allegedly used coercive tactics to recruit young men who aspired to be models or had previously worked for Abercrombie & Fitch.
The operation involved paying household staff to facilitate these events and used a security company to intimidate any potential witnesses. Witnesses have described invasive sexual and violent contact by Jeffries and Smith, including injecting victims with substances to engage in sex acts against their will. The trio used burner phones for communication and paid staff to ensure silence. Prosecutors claim the operation spent millions on the enterprise, using the money to keep the operation running and pay off potential accusers. A BBC report from a year ago detailed accusations against Jeffries for hosting sex parties and exploiting men. Abercrombie & Fitch expressed disgust over the allegations, and Jeffries faced backlash for controversial decisions during his tenure as CEO. Multiple lawsuits have been filed against him and the company, including allegations of sexual abuse and discrimination.
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