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

CENTRAL ISLIP, NY – The former long-time CEO of Abercrombie & Fitch pleaded not guilty before federal authorities on Friday allegations of sex trafficking and interstate prostitution.

Michael Jeffries, 80, declined to comment after his lawyer filed a motion on his behalf in federal court in Central Islip, Long Island. He is free on $10 million bail and is scheduled to return to court on December 12.

“Today’s hearing was procedural, bail was set to ensure Michael’s court appearance and, of course, we entered a not guilty plea,” Brian Bieber, his lawyer, said in a later email, declining to comment on the charges.

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. He is released on $500,000 bail.

In charges announced earlier this week, prosecutors allege that 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.

The incidents took place between 2008 and 2015 in New York and the Hamptons, the lavish summer resort on Long Island where Jeffries has a home, and at hotels in England, France, Italy, Morocco and St. Barts – according to the indictment.

The allegations mirror allegations of sexual misconduct described in media reports and made in a civil case against Jeffries, who left Abercrombie in 2014 after leading the company for over two decades.

Jeffries initially appeared Tuesday in federal court in West Palm Beach, Florida, where he was arrested along with his partner, 61-year-old Matthew Smith.

But while Jeffries was released on bail, Smith was ordered detained after prosecutors raised concerns that the dual US-British national could 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 made his first 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, w statement posted on Instagram after the arrests, he said he 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 stopped using “sexual” photos. 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.”

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