The FBI, the US federal police investigative agency, has launched an investigation into Mike Jeffries, former CEO of the well-known US clothing brand Abercrombie & Fitch. The investigation concerns a series of allegations of sexual exploitation and abuse, which were made against Jeffries months ago following an investigation of BBC. Jeffries is 79 years old and was the head of Abercrombie & Fitch from 1992 to 2014, years in which he contributed to the great development of the company and the great growth of his fame throughout the world.
According to the investigation by BBCpublished in October, Jeffries and his partner Matthew Smith – also under investigation by the FBI – over the years allegedly organized a series of promotional events in their homes and various luxury hotels with the aim of sexually exploiting young men. BBC had collected testimonies from several men who were allegedly sexually abused by Jeffries and Smith.
Second BBC Jeffries and Smith would have been at the head of a network that had the aim of recruiting men for sexual purposes during these events: the young men would have been recruited through an intermediary, James Jacobson. BBC had tracked down Jacobson, who is 70, who had denied the allegations and said the men attending the events were doing so voluntarily. Jacobson had later proposed a BBC “an agreement” to leave his name out of the investigation in exchange for telling “everything”. BBC however, she refused.
Following the investigation of BBC Abercrombie & Fitch was accused in a civil lawsuit of funding a sexual exploitation ring led by Jeffries and Smith between 1992 and 2014. The lawsuit alleges that it is likely that more than 100 men were sexually abused by Jeffries and Smith, who however have always denied all the accusations.