New York (AFP) – The former chief executive of the Abercrombie and Fitch clothing empire will face charges of sexually assaulting and trafficking male models at events around the world, media reported Tuesday. Ex-CEO Mike Jeffries, his partner Matthew Smith and the pair’s alleged go-between were arrested by authorities early Tuesday, the BBC reported.
Prosecutors in the New York borough of Brooklyn are expected to give details of the case at a media briefing at 1600 GMT. CNN reported that the allegations are that between December 2008 and March 2015, Jeffries and his two accomplices would recruit aspiring male models who were then lured to parties, given drugs and forced into sexual encounters.
“Today’s arrests are monumental for the aspiring male models who were victimized by these individuals,” said Brittany Henderson, a lawyer representing victims of the alleged crimes. “Their fight for justice does not end here. We look forward to holding Abercrombie and Fitch liable for facilitating this terrible conduct and ensuring that this cannot happen again,” she added in a statement to AFP.
The case stems from a 2023 BBC investigation, “The Abercrombie Guys: The Dark Side of Cool,” in which several men spoke out about signing non-disclosure agreements for sex events allegedly run by Jeffries. Abercrombie and Fitch has previously said it is “appalled and disgusted” by the allegations about Jeffries’s behavior and has “zero tolerance for abuse, harassment or discrimination of any kind.”
Jeffries left Abercrombie in 2014 with a golden parachute worth $25 million according to corporate filings.
© 2024 AFP
