Former Abercrombie & Fitch CEO Mike Jeffries has been charged with sex trafficking and prostitution, following a decade-long investigation.
Mike Jeffries, the former CEO of Abercrombie & Fitch, has been criminally charged with sex trafficking and prostitution, involving numerous men.
The charges were revealed by federal prosecutors in Brooklyn, ten years after Jeffries stepped down from the clothing retailer, a company known for its sexually provocative marketing. The indictment follows a BBC investigation and lawsuit accusing Jeffries of using modeling jobs to lure young men and exploit them through global travel for sexual abuse.
U.S. Attorney Breon Peace, warned that for too long, influential individuals have taken advantage of young people pursuing careers in fashion and entertainment through sexual abuse. Peace added, "To anyone who thinks they can exploit and coerce others by using the so-called casting couch system, this case should serve as a warning: Prepare to trade that couch for a bed in federal prison."
Jeffries, 80, along with his partner Matthew Smith, 61, and James Jacobson, 71, were all charged. They allegedly recruited young men, with the indictment including one count of sex trafficking and 15 counts of interstate prostitution concerning 15 unidentified victims between 2008 and 2015.
If convicted, they could face life sentences, with mandatory minimums of 15 years for the sex trafficking charges. They also face up to 20 years for the interstate prostitution charges.
During their court appearances, Jeffries and Jacobson were released on bonds of $10 million and $500,000, respectively, and are expected to formally enter pleas in a New York federal court. Prosecutors are pushing for home confinement for both men. Smith, however, was detained due to being considered a flight risk, as he holds dual U.S. and British citizenship.
While Jeffries' and Smith’s lawyers did not provide immediate comments, Jeremy Schneider, Jacobson’s lawyer, refrained from commenting. Abercrombie & Fitch also chose not to comment, as the company is not accused of involvement, and Peace confirmed there is no evidence that the alleged crimes took place on its property.
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Saturday that the airspace above and surrounding Venezuela should be considered "closed in its entirety", but gave...
Palestinian group Hamas continues its patient approach to maintain it despite provocations, says Recep Tayyip Erdoğan....
Iconic playwright Sir Tom Stoppard has died surrounded by his family according to a statement released by his agents on Saturday....
The Government of Kazakhstan has condemned Ukraine’s latest drone strikes on a Caspian Pipeline Consortium terminal on the Russian Black sea....
China announced a sweeping inspection of fire-safety standards in high-rise buildings nationwide on Saturday after a deadly fire in Hong Kong left at ...
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Saturday that the airspace above and surrounding Venezuela should be considered "closed in its entirety", but gave no further details.
Palestinian group Hamas continues its patient approach to maintain it despite provocations, says Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
Iconic playwright Sir Tom Stoppard has died surrounded by his family according to a statement released by his agents on Saturday.
The Government of Kazakhstan has condemned Ukraine’s latest drone strikes on a Caspian Pipeline Consortium terminal on the Russian Black sea.
At least 47 people have died and another 21 are reported missing following ten days of heavy rainfall, floods, and landslides across Sri Lanka, local media reported on Thursday (27 November).
Hong Kong fire authorities said they expected to wrap up search and rescue operations on Friday after the city's worst fire in nearly 80 years tore through a massive apartment complex, killing at least 128 people, injuring 79 and leaving around 200 still missing.
U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth visited sailors aboard the USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier in the Latin American region on Thursday, amid a military buildup by President Donald Trump’s administration that has heightened tensions with Venezuela.
At least 153 people have been killed in Sri Lanka after landslides and flooding caused by Cyclone Ditwah, officials said on Saturday, with 191 others missing and more than half a million affected nationwide.
The Spanish agricultural sector has been placed on high alert following the confirmation that African Swine Fever (ASF) has resurfaced in the country for the first time in over thirty years.
Iconic playwright Sir Tom Stoppard has died surrounded by his family according to a statement released by his agents on Saturday.
Netflix crashed on Wednesday for about an hour in the U.S. as it launched season five of "Stranger Things", with the service becoming inaccessible to many subscribers within minutes of the episodes going live at 8 p.m. local time.
Iconic Mexican artist Frida Kahlo's painting 'El sueño (La cama)' sold for $54.7 million at a Sotheby's auction on Thursday, setting a new auction record for the artist and making it the most expensive work by a woman artist ever sold at auction.
Lewis Hamilton has dismissed suggestions of friction within Ferrari after team chairman John Elkann's recent comments that he and teammate Charles Leclerc should "focus on driving and talk less".
Germany has returned 12 royal-era cultural artefacts to Ethiopia in a ceremony in Addis Ababa, marking a formal step in ongoing cultural cooperation between the two countries.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment