Abercrombie, former CEO face class-action lawsuit over sex trafficking of potential models

Mark Williams, Columbus Dispatch
·3 min read
** FILE ** Abercrombie & Fitch's chairman and chief executive Michael Jeffries, shown in this Feb. 16, 1998, file photo, has signed a lucrative contract that includes a $1 million annual salary and a retirement package not tied to the company's performance. When he retires in December 2008, Jeffries is guaranteed $12 million in cash, 1 million shares of Abercrombie stock, worth about $28 million today, and half of his salary for the rest of his life. (AP Photo/The Columbus Dispatch, Mike Munden)

A class-action lawsuit has been filed against New Albany-based Abercrombie & Fitch and its former CEO, Michael Jeffries, alleging the retailer looked the other way while Jeffries ran a sex-trafficking ring and sexually assaulted numerous young men.

"In exchange for providing the position of power and unfettered access to corporate funds necessary for Jeffries to sexually terrorize aspiring male models, Abercrombie knowingly and intentionally benefited and received things of value from Jeffries and his sex-trafficking operation, including the value Jeffries himself brought to the brand," the lawsuit says.

The case was filed in federal court in New York City by David Bradberry, who claims to have been sexually assaulted by Jeffries and other men several times at Jeffries' former mansion in New York City, the Hamptons, London and France.

Bradberry, a resident of Pennsylvania, is among 100 young men or more who were victims of the assaults, according to the lawsuit.

The lawsuit said Bradberry's relationship with Jeffries and the company dates to 2010 where he was forced to engage in sex acts with Jeffries and his associates in return for the chance to become an Abercrombie model.

Beyond Jeffries and Abercrombie, Jeffries' partner Matthew Smith and the Jeffries Family Office based in Columbus also are defendants.

Lawsuit filing comes after explosive BBC report

The filing of the case comes weeks after a BBC report that charged Jeffries and Smith with exploiting young men for sex.

The company declined to comment on Friday on the case though after the report from the British news agency said it was "appalled and disgusted" by it. It said it was hiring a law firm to investigate.

Jeffries' attorney, Brian Bieber, also decline to comment.

"The courtroom is where we will deal with this matter," he said Friday.

Jeffries became president and CEO of Abercrombie in 1992 when the small, money-losing chain formerly known for selling sporting equipment and clothes was part of Leslie H. Wexner's retail empire called The Limited at the time.

Jeffries became chairman in 1996 and The Limited spun off the chain into an independent company in 1998.

Jeffries left the company in 2014.

Lawsuit provides graphic details of Jeffries' alleged exploitation

The 128-page filing lays out in graphic terms how Jeffries groomed young men to sexually exploit and alleges that Abercrombie turned a blind eye as long as the company benefited financially from Jeffries' leadership.

Jeffries used modeling scouts to identify attractive young men who wanted to be an Abercrombie model, the lawsuit said. The scout would require a meeting in person and if the meeting went well, the potential would be invited to a casting at Jeffries' home.

"Often these prospective models turned sex trafficking victims were later sent to other places, including New York, Morocco, England, and France, to be sexually abused by Jeffries and other men under Jeffries control under the guise of becoming the next Abercrombie model," the lawsuit said.

These models would be required to wear Abercrombie clothes to the visits.

"The models were led to believe that being sexually abused by the CEO of Abercrombie and his partner at a remote private location arranged by the company was the price that was paid to obtain one of the most coveted roles in the industry — an Abercrombie model," the lawsuit said.

The company, meanwhile, continue to reward Jeffries with bigger and bigger pay packages, including $71.8 million in 2008, the lawsuit said. When he retired in 2014, he left with a pay package of $25 million.

"Specifically, Abercrombie financially benefited by retaining Jeffries as its cash cow CEO, who required as part of his employment, complete autonomy to utilize any methods of brand building he wanted, including the blatant use of a sex trafficking and sexual abuse scheme.," according to the lawsuit.

mawilliams@dispatch.com

@BizMarkWilliams

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Lawsuit: Sexual exploitation at Abercrombie by former CEO Jeffries