FBI investigating ex-Abercrombie boss amid sex trafficking allegations – report

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The FBI is reportedly investigating the former chief executive of Abercrombie & Fitch over allegations of sexual exploitation, abuse and trafficking of men at lavish events he and his partner hosted in America and abroad.

Mike Jeffries, the company’s boss during its heyday in the 1990s and early 2000s, and his British partner Matthew Smith are facing a civil lawsuit over alleged trafficking operations.

The BBC reported on Wednesday that FBI agents are now interviewing and issuing subpoenas to potential witnesses as part of an investigation, citing multiple sources aware of the probe.

The FBI is yet to comment publicly on the matter, and the BBC said a lawyer for Mr Jeffries declined to comment.

FBI agents specialising in alleged sex crimes and federal prosecutors from the eastern district of New York were reported to be leading the investigation.

An earlier BBC documentary alleged that Mr Jeffries and Mr Smith used a network of middlemen to organise events in London, Paris, Venice and Marrakesh between 2009 and 2015.

At least eight men said that they attended the events, some of whom claimed they were exploited or abused. One man told the BBC he felt forced to let another man perform oral sex on him.

A middleman representing Mr Jeffries, 79, and Mr Smith, 60, has denied any wrongdoing and said the alleged victims went in to the events with their eyes “wide open”.

The eight men who attended the events said they were recruited by a middleman, who they described as having a missing nose covered with a snakeskin patch. He was identified as James Jacobson in the BBC investigation.

One of the accusers is David Bradberry, a former model who chose to go public with his allegations. He said he was introduced to Mr Jacobson by an agent  – who described himself as the gatekeeper to the “owners” of A&F –  in 2010 when he was 23,  but that there was no mention of sex. He is now suing the company alleging it allowed Mr Jeffries to run a sex-trafficking organisation during his 22-year tenure.

Mr Jacobson, now aged 70, told the BBC in a statement issued through his lawyer that he took offence at the suggestion of "any coercive, deceptive or forceful behaviour on my part" and had "no knowledge of any such conduct by others".

In December last year, Mr Jeffries filed a lawsuit against the apparel retailer for allegedly refusing to cover his legal fees after he was accused of running a sex trafficking operation for two decades.

The ex-chief executive, who stepped down in 2014, filed a lawsuit in Delaware, stating that the company was ignoring his right to have his fees covered in relation to a class action suit filed in October.

In a statement released in October, Abercrombie & Fitch said: "For close to a decade, a new executive leadership team and refreshed board of directors  have successfully transformed our brands and culture into the values-driven organisation we are today.

"We have zero tolerance for abuse, harassment or discrimination of any kind." The company said it did not comment on pending litigation.