Former Abercrombie & Fitch CEO pleads not guilty to sex trafficking and prostitution charges

“Today’s proceeding was procedural successful nature, enslaved has been acceptable to guarantee Michael’s quality successful Court, and of people we entered a plea of not guilty,” Brian Bieber, his attorney, said successful an email afterward, declining to remark connected the allegations.

Prosecutors allege that for years, Jeffries, his romanticist spouse and a 3rd man, 71-year-old James Jacobson, lured men into taking portion successful enactment parties by dangling the committedness of modeling for the covering retailer, erstwhile celebrated for its preppy, All-American aesthetic and selling with shirtless antheral models.

Jacobson, who was an worker of Jeffries erstwhile prosecutors accidental the crimes occurred, besides pleaded not blameworthy and declined to talk to reporters afterward. He’s escaped connected a $500,000 bond.

In charges announced earlier this week, prosecutors accidental 15 accusers were induced by “force, fraud and coercion” to prosecute successful drug-fueled enactment parties successful which the men were sometimes directed to deterioration costumes, usage enactment toys and endure achy erection-inducing penile injections.

The events took spot betwixt 2008 and 2015 successful New York City and the Hamptons, the affluent summertime edifice connected Long Island wherever Jeffries has a home, arsenic good arsenic astatine hotels successful England, France, Italy, Morocco and St. Barts, according to the indictment.

The allegations echo intersexual misconduct accusations described successful media reports and made successful a civilian lawsuit against Jeffries, who near Abercrombie successful 2014 aft starring the institution for much than 2 decades.

Jeffries initially appeared Tuesday successful national tribunal successful West Palm Beach, Florida wherever helium was arrested with his partner, 61-year-old Matthew Smith.

But portion Jeffries was released connected bond, Smith was ordered detained aft prosecutors raised concerns that the dual American and British national mightiness fly the country. No day has been acceptable for Smith’s arraignment.

Jacobson, who prosecutors accidental recruited men for the enactment parties, was arrested successful Wisconsin and made his archetypal quality successful national tribunal successful St. Paul, Minnesota.

Jeffries took implicit arsenic CEO of Abercrombie successful 1992, presiding implicit the improvement of the institution from its roots arsenic a hunting and outdoor goods store founded successful Manhattan successful 1892 to a fixture of teen promenade civilization during the aboriginal 2000s.

Abercrombie, successful a connection posted connected Instagram aft the arrests, said it was “appalled and disgusted” by the allegations.

The Ohio-based company, which besides owns the covering marque Hollister, said it has “transformed” its brands and civilization successful the decennary since Jeffries departed.