Former Abercrombie & Fitch CEO Mike Jeffries arrested on sex trafficking charges

Former Abercrombie & Fitch CEO Mike Jeffries is in custody after being arrested in Florida on sex trafficking and interstate prostitution charges, multiple news outlets reported, citing senior law enforcement officials.

In addition to Jeffries, who ran the popular retailer from 1992 to 2014, his partner Matthew Smith was also arrested in West Palm Beach, while an employee, James Jacobson, was arrested in his home state of Wisconsin. Both are being held in connection with sex trafficking charges, NBC News reported Tuesday morning. All three are expected to appear before a judge on Tuesday and be arraigned at a later date, the station reported.

The U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York has scheduled a news conference for noon Tuesday to provide details of the investigation that led to the arrest of the three men on Tuesday.

In October 2023, the BBC published an investigation alleging that the CEO and his partner were at the center of a human trafficking ring in which twelve young men said they were recruited to attend sex parties that the two would host, and that sexual acts had been carried out by the couple. Some of the young men told the BBC that they had been abused at the events.

Jeffries contributed to Abercrombie & Fitch's success for over two decades, transforming the retail brand from an Ohio-based heritage outfitter into a megabrand for teens and young adults. The brand particularly focused on young men and placed male beauty and over-sexualization at the forefront of its presentation, which was addressed in both the store's advertisements and among its employees. Sales declined and Jeffries left in 2014 with a $25 million pension.

When he left, a pension fund invested in the brand filed a lawsuit, claiming the company had paid out severance pay to its employees, according to a BBC Panorama investigation. It was unclear whether the complaints and compensation involved anything sexual.

The Hollywood Reporter has emailed Jeffries' attorney, Brian Bieber, seeking comment on his arrest and will update this story if word comes back.

This is a breaking news story and will be updated.