Former Abercrombie & Fitch CEO Mike Jeffries has pleaded not guilty to sex-trafficking charges

Michael Jeffries, the former head of Abercrombie & Fitch, was pleaded not guilty by a defense attorney on Friday who was accused with sex trafficking and 15 counts of interstate prostitution.

Jeffries’ wife and son were present in the courtroom and signed a $10 million bond secured by the defendant’s home in New York. He must remain under arrest, electronically monitored and have no contact with his co-defendants, witnesses or victims.

Another attorney entered a not guilty plea on behalf of James Jacobson, who was accused of recruiting models Jeffries and his partner Matthew Smith allegedly sold and forced into sexual acts. He was released on bail of 500,000 dollars.

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The next appearance of the defendants in court is on December 12.

There is no date yet for Smith to be charged. Earlier this week, during an appearance in Florida, Smith agreed to be held in custody with the right to apply for bail in the future.

Three defendants were arrested Tuesday as part of a criminal investigation into the alleged trafficking of more than a dozen victims, according to the FBI and federal prosecutors.

According to the 16-count indictment, they are accused of running an international human trafficking and prostitution business that recruited young men for parties in the United States and abroad.

Jeffries and Smith relied on their vast financial resources, Jeffries’ power as CEO of Abercrombie, and many people, including Jacobson and a network of employees, contractors, and security specialists, to run a business “that was dedicated to fulfilling their sexual desires and ensuring that to keep their international sex-trafficking and prostitution business secret,” the indictment reads.

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Federal prosecutors said the trio allegedly paid dozens of men to travel around the world for sex for at least seven years, beginning in late 2008. . Jeffries allegedly recruited, hired and paid a number of domestic staff to “facilitate and supervise sex events”.

Prosecutors and the FBI believe there are many more victims and have asked them to come forward.

Jacobson allegedly traveled across the United States and abroad to recruit and interview men for so-called sex events, prosecutors said. According to prosecutors, while “testing” potential candidates, Jacobson demanded that the candidates first engage in sexual intercourse with him.

The indictment alleges that many of the men were coerced into believing that attending the events would lead to an opportunity to model with Abercrombie or otherwise advance their careers, or, conversely, that not complying with requests to do certain things during the sexual activities would harm their careers. era

After the arrest, Brian Bieber, Jeffries’ attorney, and Joe Nascimento, Smith’s attorney, told ABC News in identical statements after the arrest: “We will respond to the allegations in detail after the indictment is unsealed and when appropriate, but I plan to do so in the courthouse, not in the mass media.”

Jacobson’s attorney declined ABC News’ request for comment after his arrest.

Former Abercrombie & Fitch CEO Mike Jeffries has pleaded not guilty to sex-trafficking charges first appeared on abcnews.go.com