Jeffries, a partner and former CEO of Abercrombie & Fitch, was arrested on charges of sex trafficking

It took the FBI a long time to find Jeffries and his partner Smith at Abercrombie & Fitch. They have been caught and are now facing sex trafficking charges.

Mike Jeffries, who used to be CEO of Abercrombie & Fitch, and his British partner Matthew Smith were arrested on Tuesday and are being charged with sex trafficking. 

Officials haven’t said everything yet, but at a press meeting coming up, the FBI and the prosecutor’s office are likely to give more details.

After a long investigation, Jeffries, Smith, and James Jacobson, who was thought to be their agent, were caught. Both men’s lawyers have said in the past that they did nothing wrong. 

After Jeffries was arrested, his lawyer said, “We will respond in detail to the allegations after the Indictment is unsealed and when it is appropriate. We plan to do so in the courthouse, not the media.”

Smith’s agent hasn’t said anything yet, and Abercrombie & Fitch wouldn’t say anything about the new information.

After claims that Jeffries and Smith had abused and exploited men at events in New York homes and foreign hotels were made public last year, the FBI began an investigation. This led to the charges. An organized group of recruiters whose job it was to find men for these events was found during the probe. People who were victims say they were lied to about what the meetings were like or were forced to do sexual acts. Some men said they were offered modeling jobs with A&F if they did what they were told.

David Bradberry, one of the accused victims, said that he was forced to do sexual acts with Jeffries under the guise of getting closer to him. He talked about the party he went to at Jeffries’ Hamptons home, mentioning how “secluded” it was and how staff wearing Abercrombie uniforms made him feel like he couldn’t say no.

After the claims, a civil suit was brought against Jeffries and Smith, charging them with sex trafficking, rape, and sexual abuse. Abercrombie & Fitch was also linked to the crime because Jeffries was CEO there and was accused of supporting the sex trafficking business. Since then, the brand has denied having anything to do with it, saying that it didn’t know about the claims until the review started.

Brad Edwards, a civil lawyer who is helping some of the victims, said that the arrests were a big step toward justice. He said, “These arrests are a huge first step toward getting justice for the many victims who were exploited and abused through this sex-trafficking scheme that ran for many years under the legitimate cover Abercrombie provided.” He was referring to the BBC’s investigation and the lawsuit that brought the issue to light.

It is true that Abercrombie & Fitch has started its own probe into the claims. The organization has not said when the results will be made public, though. The company has been fighting to get the civil case thrown out, saying that it had no idea about the alleged trafficking operation.

Jeffries was once one of the highest-paid CEOs in the United States. He quit his job at Abercrombie & Fitch in 2014 because sales were going down and there was more and more controversy. It is said that he left with a retirement deal worth $25 million. During his time at the company, he was accused of discrimination, spending too much, and his partner Matthew Smith’s unofficial impact.

As the charge is made public and more information comes out over the next few days, the case is likely to go in a new direction.