Former Abercrombie CEO pleads not guilty to sex trafficking charges

Former Abercrombie & Fitch CEO Mike Jeffries has pleaded not guilty to sex trafficking and interstate prostitution charges.

Lawyers entered the plea on behalf of Mr. Jeffries in New York federal court on Long Island, as he sat beside them in court in a navy blue suit, his face expressionless.

Just one row behind Mr. Jeffries was his alleged go-between, James Jacobson, who also pleaded not guilty during a hearing immediately after the ex-CEO.

Jeffries’ British-American partner Matthew Smith, who faces the same charges, is expected to appear in court in New York at a later date.

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

The FBI launched an investigation into the former A&F CEO last year, according to a BBC investigate found several men who accused Mr. Jeffries and Mr. Smith of sexually abusing them at events they hosted in their New York residences and hotels around the world.

During a 10-minute court hearing on Friday in Long Island, New York Judge Steven Tiscione told Mr. Jeffries that he would be under house arrest, adding that he would be allowed to leave his New York homes and Florida just for medical appointments, visits with him. lawyers and religious events.

Mr Jeffries posted a $10m (£7.7m) bond using his home on New York’s Fisher Island as collateral.

The hearing was attended by both Mr Jeffries’ son and wife, who agreed to use their home as collateral as she also owns the property.

The judge asked his wife, Susan, if she understood that their home could be foreclosed upon if Mr. Jeffries did not appear in court.

She told the judge she understood.

One of Mr Jeffries’ alleged victims, David Bradberry, who previously told the BBC about the alleged abuse, sat in the front row of the courtroom as the charges against the former CEO were read out.

Mr. Jeffries did not answer reporters’ questions Friday afternoon as he left the courtroom and got into a black SUV.

The BBC investigation uncovered a sophisticated operation involving a middleman, Mr Jacobson, and a network of recruiters tasked with finding men for these events.

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

Mr Jeffries and Mr Jacobson have been released on bail. Mr. Smith was detained.

Prosecutors say Mr Jeffries and his partner preyed on “dozens” of vulnerable young people seeking careers in fashion and modeling and exploited them for their own sexual pleasure between 2008 and 2015.

The indictment lists 15 unnamed victims.

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

The U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Breon Peace, alleged on Tuesday that Mr. Jeffries spent “a prolific amount of money” to traffic men to engage in sexual 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, flying them to his home in New York and other locations where they were pressured to take alcohol, Viagra and muscle relaxants or given injected with them against their will.

In its initial investigation, the BBC spoke to 12 men who described attending or organizing events involving sexual acts with Mr Jeffries, 80, and his British partner Mr Smith, 61.

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

Then last month more men came. Some of Mr. Jeffries’ assistants injected what they were told was liquid Viagra into their penises.

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

Mr Jeffries served as the company’s CEO from 1992 until 2014, when he stepped down following falling sales and walked away with a retirement package valued at around $25m (£20.5m).

He is due in court on December 12.