Former Abercrombie & Fitch CEO pleads not guilty to sex trafficking charges

By FELIPE MARCELO

CENTRAL ISLIP, N.Y. (AP) — The former CEO of Abercrombie & Fitch pleaded not guilty Friday in federal court. interstate sex trafficking and prostitution charges.

Michael Jeffries, 80, declined to comment after his attorney entered a guilty plea on his behalf in federal court in Central Islip, Long Island. He is free on $10 million bail and is due back in court Dec. 12.

“Today’s hearing was procedural in nature, bail was set to ensure Michael’s appearance in court and of course we pleaded not guilty,” Brian Bieber, his attorney, said in a later email, declining to comment. about the accusations.

Prosecutors allege that for years, Jeffries, her romantic partner and a third man, James Jacobson, 71, lured men to participate in sex parties by promising to work as models for the clothing retailer once famous for its preppy style. , All -Aesthetics and American marketing with shirtless male models.

Jacobson, who was a Jeffries employee when prosecutors say the crimes occurred, also pleaded not guilty and declined to speak to reporters afterward. He is free on $500,000 bail.

In charges announced earlier this week, prosecutors say 15 accusers were induced by “force, fraud and coercion” to participate in drug-fueled sex parties where men were sometimes ordered to wear costumes, use toys sexual and will endure painful penile erections. injections.

The events took place between 2008 and 2015 in New York City and the Hamptons, the wealthy summer resort on Long Island where Jeffries has a home, as well as in hotels in England, France, Italy, Morocco and St. Barts, according to the accusation.

The allegations echo allegations of sexual misconduct described in media reports and made in a civil case against Jeffries, who left Abercrombie in 2014 after leading the company for more than two decades.

Jeffries initially appeared Tuesday in federal court in West Palm Beach, Florida, where he was arrested with his partner, Matthew Smith, 61.

But while Jeffries was released on bail, Smith was ordered detained after prosecutors raised concerns that the American and British citizen could flee the country. No date has been set for Smith’s arraignment.

Jacobson, who prosecutors say recruited men for sex parties, was arrested in Wisconsin and made his initial appearance in federal court in St. Paul, Minnesota.

Jeffries took over as CEO of Abercrombie in 1992, presiding over the company’s evolution from its roots as a hunting and outdoor supply store founded in Manhattan in 1892 to a fixture of mall culture for teenagers in the early 2000s.

Abercrombie, in a statement posted on Instagram After the arrests, she said she was “horrified and disgusted” by the allegations.

The Ohio-based company, which also owns the Hollister clothing brand, said it has “transformed” its brands and culture in the decade since Jeffries’ departure.

Abercrombie stopped using “sexualized” photos in marketing materials and ended the practice of calling store staff “models.” Last year it hired an outside law firm to conduct an independent investigation into similar allegations against Jeffries.

“Speaking out and coming forward is not easy, and our thoughts remain with those who have bravely raised their voices as part of the federal investigation,” the company wrote in its Wednesday statement. “We have zero tolerance for abuse, harassment or discrimination of any kind and are committed to fully cooperating with authorities as the legal process continues.”

Follow Felipe Marcelo on twitter.com/philmarcelo

Originally Posted: October 25, 2024 at 16:17