Former Abercrombie & Fitch CEO Mike Jeffries Arrested On Sex Trafficking & Prostitution Charges

Former Abercrombie & Fitch CEO Mike Jeffries has been arrested on sex trafficking and interstate prostitution charges. The business mogul, who served as chief executive for the clothing brand between 1992 and 2014, has been named in a federal indictment obtained by Access Hollywood that alleges he and his romantic partner, Matthew Smith, along with an associate, James Jacobson, facilitated an alleged international prostitution ring. Authorities confirmed the charges in a press conference on Oct. 22 and claim in the indictment that the men operated a business in which they allegedly lured aspiring male models to participate in alleged “sex events” across multiple countries from 2008 to 2015 under the guise of helping their careers. The indictment claims that the defendants used “coercive, fraudulent and deceptive tactics in connection with the recruitment, hiring, transportation, obtaining, maintaining, solicitation and payment of the men to engage in commercial sex” and allegedly attempted to silence victims through threats and non-disclosure agreements. Jeffries, Smith and Jacobson are expected to be arraigned in New York later in October, authorities told reporters. Access Hollywood has reached out to Abercrombie & Fitch and Jeffries’ lawyer for comment.