The former CEO, his partner, and a company employee were arrested on Tuesday on the charges of sex trafficking.

According to a federal indictment, the former CEO of Abercrombie and Fitch, Mike Jeffries, and his long-term partner, Matthew Smith were arrested in Florida, as a company employee named James Jacobson was arrested in Wisconsin for allegedly luring men to drug-induced, coercive sexual parties during Jeffries’ tenure at the popular clothing retailer. 

Jeffries, Smith, and “others” who participated in the alleged sex parties “employed coercive, fraudulent and deceptive tactics in connection with the recruitment, hiring, transportation, obtaining, maintaining, solicitation and payment of the men to engage in commercial sex,” the federal indictment reads.

Jeffries, Smith, and Jacobson face charges including 15 counts of interstate prostitution connected to 15 alleged victims, and one count of sex trafficking each.

According to the federal indictment, Jacobson worked as a recruiter for Jeffries and Smith from 2008 to 2015. 

Prosecutors claimed that Jacobson allegedly paid men to have sex with him and then selected those who made the trip to events in New York City, the Hamptons, and other places across the world to have commercial sex.

Breon S. Peace, the U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of New York, stated during a press conference announcing the indictment that Jeffries “was using his power, his wealth, and his influence to traffic men for his own sexual pleasure, and that of his romantic partner.”

According to a two-year investigation conducted by the BBC, eight victims informed the publication of the sexually-charged events. Some of the victims shared that they were allegedly exploited or abused. 

In the 1990s, Jeffries used provocative advertising, and preppy, all-American, shirtless male models to promote sex appeal and turn the once-failing company into a multibillion-dollar retailer popular amongst teenage consumers.

With the assistance and evidence such as numerous emails, flight tickets, and extensive itineraries gathered by the publication, they discovered that Jeffries allegedly used young adult males for sex at parties he threw in his New York homes and various hotels in London, Paris, Venice, and Marrakech.

Half of the victims who were sought after were either misinformed about the nature of the parties and or weren’t told that any sex would take place. Others told the BBC that they were somewhat aware the events would have a sexual nature, however, didn’t know to what extent.

They were all paid.

A victim of Jacobson named David Bradberry, who was 23-years-old at the time, claimed that an agency had introduced him to Jacobson back in 2010 and referred to him as the gatekeeper to “the owners” of Abercrombie and Fitch.

Bradberry claimed that during their discussion, Jacobson allegedly recommended that Bruce Weber, who was the company’s official photographer at the time, take pictures of him.

“Jim made it clear to me that unless I let him perform oral sex on me, that I would not be meeting with Abercrombie & Fitch or Mike Jeffries,” Bradberry shared. 

“I was paralyzed,” he continued. “It was like he was selling fame. And the price was compliance.”

He was paid $500 by Jacobson for his time. 

Jeffries and Smith appeared in federal court in the Southern District of Florida, while Jacobson was taken into custody in Wisconsin and made an appearance in a St. Paul court. 

Jeffries was released on a $10 million bond, and Jacobson was released on a $500,000 bond. Smith was ordered to remain behind bars.