Ex-Abercrombie & Fitch CEO Mike Jeffries and his British partner Matthew Smith are in deep trouble for exploiting men for sexual purposes.
According to the BBC the duo have been recruiting men for events hosted around the world. The network used a middleman to find young men for ex-CEO Mike Jeffries and his partner Matthew Smith.
Two former US prosecutors who independently reviewed documents and testimony uncovered by the BBC have called for an investigation to see if charges of trafficking can be initiated.
The United States defines trafficking as getting an adult to travel to another state or country to have sex for money by using force, fraud or coercion.
Although Jeffries is credited with making Abercrombie & Fitch a household name among teens in the 90s, he remains a controversial figure as one of the highest-paid CEOs, he also faced other accusations of discrimination against staff, concern about lavish expenses and complaints about the influence Smith has over him with regards to decisions involving the company.
He retired in 2014 with a package valued at $25 million. The BBC report also says that he exploited young men at events he hosted in his residences in New York, as well as at hotels in London, Paris, Venice and Marrakesh.
The eight men who have come forward with their stories said that they were recruited by a middleman who has a missing nose. He wear a snakeskin patch over it and has since been identified as one James Jacobson.
Some of the men said that they were misled about the the nature of the events while others say they knew sex would be involved. Others said they knew what was expected. All of them were paid. Some thought it would be a gateway to becoming a model for the brand.
The men told the BBC that Jeffries and Smith would engage in sexual activity with four men and direct them to have sex with each other. After that they would be handed envelopes filled with thousands of dollars in cash.
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