Former Abercrombie & Fitch chief Mike Jeffries and his accomplice are suspected of coercing males into erotic events
Mike Jefferies, the previous CEO of American trend big Abercrombie & Fitch, has been arrested within the US on federal intercourse trafficking fees. The style mogul is suspected of drugging and sexually exploiting weak males.
Jeffries, his romantic accomplice Matthew Smith, and their worker James Jacobson had been all detained on Tuesday in a case involving 15 unnamed accusers.
Whereas Jeffries and Jacobson had been launched on $10 million and $500,000 bonds respectively, Smith, who holds twin US-British citizenship, stays in custody.
In accordance with an indictment cited by the media, the defendants had for nearly 20 years lured younger males into coercive intercourse events with the promise of a modeling profession for the retailer.
The victims had been allegedly paid to accompany Jeffries and Smith to areas in New York in addition to within the UK, France, Italy, Morocco and St. Barts between 2008 and 2015, the place they might supposedly be compelled to take part in hours-long intercourse events. Prosecutors say they consider that the alleged victims, some as younger as 19 on the time, had not been instructed prematurely that they might be anticipated to carry out sexual practices.
US legal professional Breon Peace mentioned at a information convention that prosecutors have “a whole lot of proof” to underpin the case, together with journey information, monetary paperwork, and testimony from accusers and witnesses.
Attorneys representing Jeffries instructed reporters that their consumer “vehemently denies” the allegations.
A number of wealthy and well-known public figures within the US have confronted comparable accusations lately. Among the many newest instances is that of rap icon Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs, who final month was charged with intercourse trafficking, racketeering, and transportation to have interaction in prostitution. Combs allegedly enticed weak girls into drug-fueled orgies, promising them monetary or profession assist. In accordance with court docket paperwork, the victims would then be compelled to have interaction in sexual activity with male prostitutes, with the entire course of filmed.
The rap mogul allegedly bodily abused his victims by punching and kicking them. Combs has pleaded not responsible to the costs.
In 2019, the late financier Jeffrey Epstein was arrested by US authorities and later charged with human trafficking and conspiracy to site visitors minors for intercourse. A lot of distinguished enterprise and political figures had allegedly visited his non-public island within the Caribbean, the place dozens of younger girls – a few of whom had been underage on the time – had been purportedly compelled to gratify them sexually.
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