By
Reuters
Published
October 22, 2024
Michael Jeffries, former CEO of Abercrombie & Fitch, was arrested by federal agents investigating allegations that he ran a sex trafficking operation, the Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday, citing people familiar with the matter.
He was arrested Tuesday in Florida as part of an investigation led by federal prosecutors in Brooklyn, New York, according to the report.
Abercrombie & Fitch declined to comment on Reuters inquiries, while Jeffries could not immediately be reached.
Last year, a group of aspiring male models from Abercrombie & Fitch sued the retailer and its former CEO, alleging that the company had profited from a sex trafficking operation run by Jeffries.
The proposed class action lawsuit filed by former model David Bradberry in Manhattan federal court claims that Jeffries forced models to take drugs and engage in sexual acts with him and others for the opportunity to appear in provocative Abercrombie catalogs.
The lawsuit alleged that company officials knew of the conduct and that Abercrombie paid settlements to people who accused Jeffries of sexual abuse or harassment.
Jeffries, who was CEO from 1992 to 2014, is credited with turning the retailer into a successful maker of teen clothing known for its stores filled with cologne and ads featuring semi-naked models. However, he resigned amid criticism that he had failed to keep pace with the tastes of teenage shoppers.
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