Former Abercrombie & Fitch CEO Mike Jeffries and an alleged accomplice, James Jacobson, pleaded not guilty to sex trafficking and interstate prostitution charges. Jeffries remains free on a $10 million bond with restricted travel. Jeffries’ partner, Matthew Smith, was also arrested on similar charges and remains in custody. The three men are accused of running an international sex trafficking and prostitution business from 2008 to 2015, holding sex events in various locations and using coercive tactics on aspiring models. They allegedly paid staff to facilitate these events and used a security company to intimidate victims. Federal investigators began looking into the operation after media reports surfaced of exploitation and non-consensual acts at these events. Jeffries previously faced backlash during his time as CEO of Abercrombie & Fitch for discrimination and racism within the company. After reports of the sex trafficking allegations, Abercrombie & Fitch faced a civil lawsuit for ignoring the accusations against Jeffries. The case remains unresolved, but the accusations highlight a pattern of alleged abuse by Jeffries and his associates. These allegations have tarnished the reputation of Jeffries, who was once a successful CEO in the fashion industry.
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