The former Abercrombie & Fitch CEO, Mike Jeffries, has been accused of leading a sex trafficking and prostitution operation from 2008 to 2015 with two former associates — one of whom is his partner, Matthew Smith, and the other is a man named James Jacobson. A federal indictment revealed 16 counts against Jeffries, Smith and Jacobson when it was unsealed on October 22, 2024.
According to the United States Attorney’s Office Eastern District of New York, Jeffries and Smith “not only relied on their financial resources and Jeffries’ power as the CEO of Abercrombie, but also on numerous others, including Jacobson and a network of employees, contractors and security professionals, to operate [a sex trafficking and prostitution] venture, which was dedicated to fulfilling their sexual desires.”
Learn more about Jacobson and his role in Jeffries’ arrest, below.
SEX TRAFFICKING ARREST: The indictment states that Jeffries, partner Matthew Smith and employee James Jacobson used Jeffries’ status to conduct an international sex trafficking and prostitution business protected by secrecy. https://t.co/EVpiRsEKjf pic.twitter.com/FKTahnN0wN
— News12NJ (@News12NJ) October 22, 2024
Who Is Mike Jeffries?
Jeffries was the CEO of the famous fashion retailer Abercrombie & Fitch from 1992 to 2014. During his time working for the company, the businessman revived the brand but faced controversy for engineering an exclusionary image for all-white young adults, particularly men. During a 2006 interview with Salon, Jeffries explained why the company would only hire “good-looking people” to work in their stores.
“That’s why we hire good-looking people in our stores. Because good-looking people attract other good-looking people, and we want to market to cool, good-looking people,” Jeffries said at the time, adding, “We don’t market to anyone other than that. … Candidly, we go after the cool kids.”
Jeffries then described what he believed was the perfect “all-American kid.”
“We go after the attractive all-American kid with a great attitude and a lot of friends,” he said at the time. “A lot of people don’t belong [in our clothes], and they can’t belong. Are we exclusionary? Absolutely. Those companies that are in trouble are trying to target everybody: young, old, fat, skinny. But then you become totally vanilla. You don’t alienate anybody, but you don’t excite anybody, either.”
Former employees sued the brand for discrimination, and Abercrombie & Fitch’s sales decreased over time. After Jeffries stepped down in 2014, the brand reintroduced itself with more inclusive marketing.
What Was Mike Jeffries Arrested for?
On October 22, 2024, Jeffries was arrested in Palm Beach, Florida, along with his partner, Matthew. The indictment was later unsealed in Central Islip, New York, by the Eastern District of New York.
The indictment alleges that Jeffries, Smith and Jacobson coerced various men who were aspiring to be models into sexual acts. The victims were allegedly required to sign non-disclosure agreements, and they had to surrender their wallets, phones and other personal items during sex events.
Who Is James Jacobson?
Jacobson was hired by Jeffries to recruit men that would perform sexual acts, according to the federal indictment. Per the Eastern District of New York’s website, Jacobson would host “tryouts” for prospective candidates, whom he’d require to “first engage in commercial sex acts with him.”
Per CBS News, federal authorities labeled Jacobson as “Mrs. Cook” and arrested him in Wisconsin on October 22, 2024.
