Hollywood celebrities, moguls and CEOs are panicking over the news that former Abercrombie & Fitch CEO Mike Jeffries was arrested for sex trafficking.
The former CEO of the popular clothing brand was charged with sex trafficking and interstate prostitution, prosecutors in the Eastern District of NY said Tuesday.
Jeffries made an initial court appearance in West Palm Beach on Tuesday afternoon. After a brief hearing he was released on $10 million bond. Magistrate Judge Bruce E. Reinhart ordered Jeffries to serve home detention with GPS ankle monitoring. He can not leave his house or travel out of the state without approval.
Jeffries (left) is pictured partying in Saint-Tropez in a photo dated July 8, 2015.
His fall from grace began when federal agents investigated a BBC News report that said Jeffries exploited men at sex parties he hosted.
Allegations were made against Jeffries and Matthew Smith, his former romantic partner.
The feds allege that James Jacobson, of Wisconsin, was a recruiter for Jeffries and Smith — who operated an “international sex trafficking and prostitution business” from 2008 to 2015.
Shortly after the BBC report was published in late 2023, Abercrombie & Fitch and Jeffries were sued for allegedly turning a blind eye to Jeffries’ alleged misconduct.
The news of their arrests came as a shock to his friends and associates because Jeffries was careful to make young men sign non-disclosure agreements.
They were also required to surrender their wallets and cell phones to attend private events, where drugs and alcohol flowed freely, prosecutors said.
Jeffries, Smith and Jacobson also allegedly recruited, hired and paid household staff to “facilitate and supervise the sex events.”
The staff provided Jeffries, Smith and the young men with muscle relaxants known as “poppers,” lubricant, Viagra, and condoms among other items. The men were paid for attending the sex parties, the indictment said.
Jeffries, Jacobson and Smith used burner phones to contact the young men.
According to the indictment, the men were subjected to “invasive sexual and violent contact by body parts and other objects.”
Jeffries, Jacobson and Smith employed a “full-service security company” to administer non-disclosure agreements, conduct background checks and, if necessary, intimidate “victims,” prosecutors alleged.
“On occasions when witnesses threatened to expose or sue them, Jeffries and Smith relied on the services of a security company to surveil and intimidate those individuals, thereby securing their silence,” it said.
