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

NEW YORK — The former CEO of Abercrombie & Fitch pleaded not guilty Friday to federal charges of sex trafficking and interstate prostitution.

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

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.

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 the Hamptons, the wealthy Long Island summer resort where Jeffries has a home, as well as in hotels in England, France, Italy, Morocco and St. Barts, according to the indictment.

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

Jeffries was released on bail after appearing in federal court in West Palm Beach, Florida, on Tuesday. Their bond is guaranteed by a property that he and his wife own on the expensive Fisher Island, near Miami.

Jeffries’ partner, Matthew Smith, 61, who also appeared in court in Florida, was ordered detained after prosecutors raised concerns that the dual U.S.-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 released on $500,000 bail during 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 to Instagram after the arrests, said it was “shocked 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” photographs 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.”