Former Abercrombie & Fitch CEO Accused Of Exploiting Male Models For Sex
Image: Mike Jeffries.
The former CEO of clothing brand Abercrombie & Fitch, Mike Jeffries, and his partner Matthew Smith have been accused of exploiting, coercing, and abusing young adult men for sex events, a BBC investigation has uncovered.
These events took place at Jeffries’s home in New York as well as in hotels in London, Paris, Venice, and around the world.
‘Highly Organised Network’
In the report by the BBC, between 2009 and 2015, “a highly organised network” utilised a middleman to find these men for these sex events, after which, the men were given envelopes filled with cash.
Over the course of a two-year investigation, the BBC spoke to 12 men who either attended or organised the events.
The men who attended the events revealed that the middleman who recruited them was James Jacobson. They described Jacobson as missing a nose, which was “covered with a snakeskin patch.”
‘It Broke Me’
One such man, Barrett Pall, said, “This experience, I think it broke me. I think that this stole any ounce of innocence that I had left. It mentally messed me up. But with the language I now have today, I can sit here and tell you that I was taken advantage of.”
The BBC used documents, including emails, flight tickets, and travel itineraries to back up the men’s allegations.
‘Important That Federal Prosecutors Look Into This Case’
According to civil lawyer Brad Edwards, who looked over the evidence, said, “Given the stories of these brave men that have come forward, I think it’s very important that federal prosecutors look into this case.”
Former federal prosecutor Elizabeth Geddes said, “There’s certainly an argument that these young men were subjected to potential coercion. I think there are grounds for a prosecutor to open an investigation and look closely at this conduct to determine if a criminal prosecution is warranted.”
In a statement, Abercrombie & Fitch said they are “appalled and disgusted” by the allegations, explaining they have “zero tolerance for abuse, harassment or discrimination of any kind.”
Jeffries stepped down as CEO of Abercrombie & Fitch in 2014.
