The former CEO of Abercrombie & Fitch has pleaded not guilty to charges related to human trafficking and prostitution

NEW YORK — Former longtime CEO of Abercrombie & Fitch pleaded not guilty Friday to federal charges related to sex trafficking and interstate prostitution.

Michael Jeffries, 80, declined to comment after the request was filed in federal court in Central Islip, Long Island. He is free on $10 million bail and is scheduled for trial on December 12.

Prosecutors allege that Jeffries, his partner and a third man, 71-year-old James Jacobson, solicited men to attend sex parties for years by brandishing the promise of modeling for a clothing retailer once famous for its preppy, All-American aesthetic and marketing with male models without shirts.

Jacobson, who was Jeffries’ employee when prosecutors alleged the crime occurred, also pleaded not guilty and later declined to talk to reporters.

In charges announced earlier this week, prosecutors say 15 accusers were induced by “force, fraud and coercion” to attend drug-fueled sex parties in which men were sometimes told to wear costumes, use sex toys and endure a painful erection-inducing penis. injections.

According to the indictment, the events took place between 2008 and 2015 in the Hamptons, a wealthy summer resort on Long Island where Jeffries has a home, and at hotels in England, France, Italy, Morocco and St. Barts.

The allegations are a repeat of sexual harassment allegations described in media reports and brought in a civil case against Jeffries, who left Abercrombie in 2014 after more than two decades leading the company.

Jeffries was released on bond after appearing in federal court in West Palm Beach, Florida, on Tuesday. His security is the property he and his wife own on the expensive Fisher Island near Miami.

Jeffries’ partner, Matthew Smith, 61, who also appeared in court in Florida, was detained after prosecutors raised concerns that the dual U.S.-British citizen might flee the country. No date has been set for Smith’s arraignment.

Jacobson, who prosecutors say recruited men for sex parties, was arrested in Wisconsin and released on $500,000 bail during his initial appearance in federal court in St. Paul, Minnesota.

Jeffries took over as Abercrombie’s CEO in 1992, presiding over the company’s evolution from its roots as a hunting and recreational goods store founded in Manhattan in 1892 to a fixture of teen mall culture in the early 21st century.

Abercrombie, in a statement posted on Instagram after the arrests, said it was “appalled and disgusted” by the allegations.

The Ohio-based company, which also owns the Hollister clothing brand, said it had “transformed” its brands and culture in the ten years since Jeffries’ departure.

Abercrombie has stopped using “sexual” images in marketing materials and ended the practice of calling store workers “models.” Last year, it hired an outside law firm to conduct an independent investigation into similar allegations against Jeffries.

“Speaking up and reporting your views is not easy, and our thoughts remain with those who bravely spoke out as part of the federal investigation,” the company said in its statement Wednesday. “We have zero tolerance for any type of abuse, harassment or discrimination and are committed to fully cooperating with law enforcement authorities throughout the legal process.”