Ex-Abercrombie CEO Mike Jeffries pleads not guilty to trafficking charges after ‘luring hopeful models into sex parties’
ABERCROMBIE & Fitch's ex-CEO, who's accused of luring hopeful models into perverse sex parties with promises of success, has pleaded not guilty to trafficking charges.
Mike Jeffries, 80, allegedly ran a scheme where he scouted hopeful models to appease his sick sexual fantasies.
Jeffries, his partner, Matt Smith, 61, and Jim Jacobson, who is accused of working as Jeffries' middleman in the scheme, were all arrested on Tuesday.
Smith and Jeffries were cuffed in Palm Beach, Florida, where the former CEO posted a $10 million bond before he was sent to Long Island, New York, to face charges.
On Friday, Jeffries walked into the hearing wearing a suit with an ankle monitor peeking out from his leg to plead not guilty to the charges, the BBC reports.
Outside of the courthouse, he flashed a smile and breezed past reporters as they fired off questions.
read more on this case
Jeffries' attorney, Brian Bieber, has told the media they would only respond to allegations in court.
Jeffries ran Abercrombie from 1992 to 2014 and is the mastermind behind the brand's salacious style that saw pictures of naked male torsos plastered across stores and packaging.
Abercrombie became a worldwide sensation under his leadership, and prosecutors say Jeffries used this power to trick young men into becoming his newest sexual objects.
Jeffries hired Jacobson to seek out handsome young men and convinced them to partake in casting couch-style interviews where they would perform oral sex on him, prosecutors allege.
Many of the hopeful models would then be invited to Abercrombie parties, where they were plied with alcohol and drugs and allegedly convinced to perform sex acts on Jeffries or each other.
Prosecutors say some young men were inebriated past the point of consent and woke up with no memory of what happened.
All participants were pushed past their comfort levels with threats of being ousted from the modeling industry.
Jeffries hasn't been in the public eye for some time, and was photographed showing up at a Palm Beach courtroom on Tuesday.
He was seen flashing a creepy smile alongside his lawyer, who has told outlets that he will only respond to allegations in the courtroom.
He's due back in court on December 12.
Who is Mike Jeffries?
MIKE Jeffries is the former CEO of Abercrombie & Fitch.
He led the company from the early 1990s until his resignation in 2014.
Jeffries helped to transform the brand into a global sensation through a highly sexualized brand image.
He implemented controversial practices, including hiring attractive young staff and maintaining a "cool" image.
Former male model hopefuls have since come forward and accused Jeffries of abusing his power to lure them into performing sex acts.
The ex-CEO allegedly had a middleman scout young men and groomed them before instructing them to have sex with Jeffries and his partner, Matt Smith.
Abercrombie eventually faced backlash for its branding, prompting Jeffries to step down due to declining sales.
More to follow... For the latest news on this story, keep checking back at The U.S. Sun, your go-to destination for the best celebrity news, sports news, real-life stories, jaw-dropping pictures, and must-see videos.
Like us on Facebook at TheSunUS and follow us on X at @TheUSSun