Former Abercrombie CEO Mike Jeffries has pleaded not guilty to human trafficking

Mike Jeffries, the former longtime chief executive of Abercrombie & Fitch, pleaded not guilty on Friday. accuses him of organizing an international sex-trafficking scheme leading clothing retail.

Jeffries, 80, who headed Abercrombie from 1992 to 2014pleaded guilty to one count of sex trafficking and 15 counts of prostitution during an arraignment this afternoon before a federal judge in Central Islip, N.Y., in that state’s Suffolk County.

Brian Bieber, Jeffries’ attorney, previously said in an interview that his client pleaded not guilty to all charges.

James Jacobson, an employee of Jeffries, is also expected to plead guilty. Jeffreys’ partner, Matthew Smith, who holds dual US-UK citizenship, was detained and will speak later. Both face the same charges as Jeffries.

Prosecutors said the alleged scheme ran from 2008 to 2015.

They said Jacobson acted as a recruiter, paying men to have sex with him and then choosing who to pay to travel to Manhattan, the Hamptons and several countries around the world to have sex with Jeffries and Smith.

The victims were led to believe their efforts could lead to modeling jobs, but the real purpose of the scheme was to satisfy Jeffries and Smith’s sexual desires without tarnishing Jeffries’ reputation, prosecutors said.

According to the indictmentvictims were forced to use alcohol, Viagra and muscle relaxants; use sex toys; and perform sexual acts against their will. They were also required to sign a non-disclosure agreement, the indictment says.

According to prosecutors, dozens of men were injured, including 15 people named in the indictment.

Each defendant faces 15 years to life in prison if convicted of sex trafficking and up to 20 years in prison if convicted of interstate prostitution.

The allegations echo allegations from the BBC’s 2023 investigation and private legal proceedings on behalf of Jeffreys’ accusers.

Abercrombie has also been sued, but denies any knowledge of Jeffries’ alleged misconduct. The New Albany, Ohio, company has not been charged criminally.

Jeffries turned Abercrombie into a popular clothing brand aimed at teenage shoppers using flashy, sexualized marketing that featured half-naked models.

He resigned amid falling sales and criticism that he was losing the ability to keep up with changing customer tastes.

In an online statement, Abercrombie said it was “appalled and disgusted” by the allegations against Jeffries and that since his departure it had “transformed our brands and culture into the values-driven organization we are today.”

(Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York; Editing by Mark Porter and Diane Craft)