Former Abercrombie & Fitch CEO Mike Jeffries has pleaded not guilty to charges of sex trafficking and interstate prostitution. In federal court in New York, Jeffries appeared wearing a navy blue suit and showed no expression while seated alongside his legal team, who entered the not-guilty plea on his behalf.
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Right after Jeffries’ hearing, James Jacobson, allegedly acting as the “middleman” in these operations, also entered a not-guilty plea. Notably, Matthew Smith, Jeffries’ partner, who faces the same charges, is scheduled to appear in New York court at a later date. According to federal prosecutors, the three men allegedly used force, fraud, and coercion to conduct violent and exploitative sexual acts.
The FBI opened an investigation into Jeffries last year after a BBC report revealed that several men had accused him and his partner of sexually abusing them at events held at their residences in New York and in hotels worldwide. During the 10-minute hearing in Long Island, Judge Steven Tiscione informed Jeffries he would be under house arrest, only allowed to leave his New York and Florida residences for medical appointments, legal consultations, or religious events.
Jeffries posted $10 million bail, using his house on Fisher Island in New York as collateral. His wife, Susan, and his son attended the hearing and agreed to use their home as collateral for the bond. When asked by the judge if she understood that the house could be forfeited if Jeffries failed to appear in court, Susan confirmed that she did.
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In the front row of the courtroom was David Bradberry, one of Jeffries’ alleged victims, who listened intently as the charges were read. Bradberry was the first to come forward in the BBC investigation, alleging that he had been sexually abused by Jeffries and Smith. Jeffries did not respond to reporters’ questions as he exited the courtroom and left in a black SUV.
The BBC investigation found a sophisticated operation involving a middleman, James Jacobson, and a recruitment team tasked with finding men for Jeffries and Smith. After Jeffries and his partner were arrested on Tuesday in West Palm Beach, Florida, prosecutors quickly filed formal charges against the three men. Jacobson was also taken into custody in Wisconsin.
According to prosecutors, Jeffries and Smith preyed upon “dozens” of young men who were aspiring to launch careers in fashion and modeling, exploiting them for sexual purposes from 2008 to 2015. The indictment lists 15 victims, whose names remain undisclosed.
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If convicted, the three men could face life in prison for sex trafficking and up to 20 years for interstate prostitution charges. Breon Peace, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, alleged that Jeffries spent “enormous sums of money” to traffic victims for sexual acts with him and his partner, with staff and security carefully overseeing the events.
Peace added that the couple hired Jacobson to recruit men for these events, flying them to Jeffries’ home in New York and other locations where they were allegedly forced to consume alcohol, Viagra, and muscle relaxants or were injected with these substances against their will.
In the BBC’s initial investigation, 12 men alleged that they attended or organized events involving sexual acts with Jeffries, then 80, and Smith, 61. Eight of those men said they were recruited by a middleman identified by the BBC as James Jacobson.
After the BBC report was published last year, Abercrombie & Fitch announced it would conduct an independent investigation into these allegations. Jeffries served as CEO of the company from 1992 until 2014, departing with a retirement package valued at around $25 million after the company’s sales began declining.
Jeffries is set to appear in court again on December 12, where he faces severe charges that could significantly impact both his reputation and his longstanding career.
