The former CEO of Abercrombie & Fitch, Mike Jeffries, has been arrested on sex trafficking and interstate prostitution charges, according to two senior law enforcement officials briefed on the matter.
Jeffries has been arrested in West Palm Beach, Florida. Two other associates, Matthew Smith of West Palm Beach and James Jacobson of Wisconsin, were also arrested in connection with sex trafficking charges.
They are expected to appear in federal court in Florida and Wisconsin today, and arraigned on a later date in the eastern District of New York.
Jeffries was the CEO of the popular clothing brand from 1992 to 2014.
The U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York will have a press conference on the charges Tuesday at noon.
The news of his arrest comes one year after BBC News published an explosive report that said Jeffries exploited men at sex parties he hosted. That report said 12 men described attending or organizing events that included sex acts for Jeffries and his partner Matthew Smith, and those events took place from 2009 to 2015. Some of the men who spoke to BBC said they were exploited or didn’t participate willingly.
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Jeffries’ attorney, Brian Bieber, told NBC News at the time that Jeffries would not comment on reports about his personal life. Abercrombie & Fitch said the company was “appalled and disgusted” by the allegations in the BBC report.
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Bieber told NBC News on Tuesday in response to the arrest: “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.”
Shortly after that report, Abercrombie & Fitch and Jeffries were sued for allegedly turning a blind eye to Jeffries’ alleged misconduct. That civil suit alleged he sexually abused numerous men after luring them with the promise of coveted modeling contracts, CNBC reported.
“Today’s arrests are monumental for the aspiring male models who were victimized by these individuals," attorney Brittany Henderson, who is representing victims from that class action lawsuit, said in a statement Tuesday.
"Their fight for justice does not end here," the statement said. "We look forward to holding Abercrombie and Fitch liable for facilitating this terrible conduct and ensuring that this cannot happen again."
If you or someone you know is the victim of sexual assault, the National Sexual Assault hotline is available 24/7 at 1-800-656-4673.
