Michael Jeffries, former CEO of American fashion company, Abercrombie & Fitchwas accused of sex trafficking and prostitution in a plot involving young aspiring male models.
The prosecutor’s office New York reported that Jeffries, 80 years old, was released after paying bail of 10 million dollars. His partner and partner, Matthew Smith, 61, and James Jacobson, 71, alleged intermediary. Smith remains in custody.
The accused contacted young people in various countries around the world such as Spain, United Kingdom and Morocco to trick them and take them to public events, where they were pressured to have sexual relations. Between 2008 and 2015, they would have used “force, fraud and coercion” to traffic with these men, providing them with drugs and alcohol, according to the prosecution.
The accusation, which cites at least 15 victimsnotes that the abuses included violent acts when the victims could not give their consent. Abercrombie & Fitch expressed being “horrified” and reaffirmed its “zero tolerance” for this type of behavior.