As we previously reported, on October 27, 2023, former Abercrombie & Fitch model David Bradberry filed an individual and class action lawsuit against Abercrombie & Fitch Co. and its former CEO, Michael Jeffries, in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York. The complaint alleged that Jeffries, during his reign as CEO from 1992 to 2014, led a widespread “sex trafficking venture” in which he “prey[ed] upon attractive young men who believed Jeffries was going to hire them as an Abercrombie model”—only to be drugged and forced to participate in sex acts with Jeffries and his long-time partner, Matthew Smith, also named as a defendant. As for the company itself, the complaint alleged that “Abercrombie’s crucial support allowed Jeffries to successfully rape, sexually assault, and coercively sex traffic David Bradberry” and the dozens of men that have joined the class.
One year later, on October 22, 2024, the indictment naming Jefferies was unsealed in the Eastern District of New York, revealing 16 counts of sex trafficking and interstate prostitution. Alongside Jeffries, Matthew Smith and James Jacobson were also named and arrested in 2024.
The indictment alleges that Jeffries, Smith, and Jacobson, with others, “operated an international sex trafficking ring and prostitution business,” naming John Does #1-15 as victims. Jeffries is further accused of using his position as CEO as a source of power over his victims. This position of power and wealth coupled with other sources of financial backing and power provided the foundation for Jeffries’ venture.
The indictment also alleges that Jeffries and Smith provided the finances for John Does #1 through #15, among others, to travel within the United States and abroad for the purposes of engaging in commercial sex acts with Jeffries and Smith. Potential candidates had to “try out” to attend Jeffries’ and Smith’s so-called “Sex Events,” which typically required engaging in commercial sex acts with Jacobson.
Jeffries pleaded not guilty on October 25, 2024.
The CSE Institute commends the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York for their prosecution of this case. This case exemplifies the need to hold people in positions of power, wealth, and influence accountable for their crimes. This is not the first time that we have seen someone in such a position leverage it to exploit others; consider cases of abuse involving other famous people, such as that of R. Kelly, Sean Combs, Brian Peck, or Larry Nassar, as well as those patterns that manifest in other relationships with a power imbalance, such as those involving students and teachers.
Here, there is no doubt that Jeffries used his position of power as CEO of Abercrombie to exploit his victims. United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York Breon Peace announced that “[a]s alleged in the indictment, former CEO of Abercrombie Michael Jeffries, his partner Matthew Smith and their recruiter James Jacobson used their money and influence to prey on vulnerable men for their own sexual gratification . . . [t]oday’s arrests show that my Office and our law enforcement partners will not rest until anyone who engages in sex trafficking or interstate prostitution, regardless of their wealth or power, is brought to justice.”
To hold Jeffries accountable is a step forward in ensuring that this does not happen again.
Above all, the CSE Institute praises the victims who bravely came forward with their stories in the hope of bringing this case to justice. These courageous victims provide essential survivor testimony, and their voices must be amplified to help victims achieve justice and hold perpetrators accountable.
The CSE Institute will continue to provide updates as this matter unfolds.
All views expressed herein are personal to the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law or of Villanova University.