Former Abercrombie CEO pleads not guilty to sex trafficking charges

Federal prosecutors said the men used force, fraud and coercion to engage in “violent and exploitative” sexual activity.

The FBI began investigating the former A&F CEO last year after a BBC investigation identified several men who accused Jeffries and Smith of sexually assaulting them at events they held at their New York residences and hotels around the world.

The BBC investigation revealed a complex operation involving an intermediary, Mr Jacobson, and a network of recruiters tasked with finding people for the events.

Prosecutors unsealed indictments against three men shortly after Jeffries and his partner were arrested Tuesday in West Palm Beach, Florida. Mr. Jacobson was arrested in Wisconsin.

Jeffries was released on $10 million (£7.7 million) bail and Jacobson was released on $500,000 bail. Mr. Smith was detained.

Prosecutors allege that between 2008 and 2015, Jefferies and his partner preyed on “dozens” of vulnerable young men seeking careers in fashion and modeling, and exploited them for their own sexual gratification.

The indictment names 15 victims, who are not named.

The three men face life in prison if convicted of sex trafficking and up to 20 years in prison if convicted of interstate prostitution.

Eastern District of New York U.S. Attorney Breon Peace said Tuesday that Mr. Jeffries spent a “large amount of money” trafficking men to engage in sex acts with him and his partner while staff and security guarded the events.

Mr. Peace said the couple hired Mr. Jacobson to recruit men for the couple, taking them to their home in New York and other locations where they were forced to drink alcohol, Viagra and muscle relaxants or administered them against their will. .

During the initial investigation, the BBC spoke to 12 men who said they attended or organized events involving sex acts with 80-year-old Jeffries and his 61-year-old British partner Smith.

Eight men who attended the events said they were recruited by an intermediary, identified by the BBC as James Jacobson.

Then last month, even more men came forward. Some of Mr. Jeffries’ alleged aides injected what they were told was liquid Viagra into their penises.

After the BBC’s initial investigation was published last year, A&F announced it was launching an independent investigation into the allegations.

Mr Jefferies served as the company’s chief executive from 1992 until 2014, when he stepped down amid falling sales and walked away with a pension package worth around $25 million (£20.5 million).