Michael S. Jeffries, the former longtime chief executive of Abercrombie & Fitch, was arrested Tuesday in connection with a federal case on sex trafficking and interstate prostitution charges.
Jeffries, who ran the clothing company from 1992 to 2014, faces sex trafficking-related charges, according to federal prosecutors in Brooklyn. The charges come a year after a BBC investigation and a class-action lawsuit accusing Jeffries of luring young men to events around the world with the promise of modeling jobs at Abercrombie, where they were sexually exploited.
Mr. Jeffries and his partner, Matthew Smith, were arrested in Florida on Tuesday morning and are scheduled to appear in federal court in West Palm Beach later in the day, said John Marzulli, a spokesman for the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of New York. A third person, James Jacobson, was also arrested in Wisconsin on Tuesday in connection with the case and will appear in federal court in St. Paul, Minnesota, Marzulli said.
The district attorney's office, the FBI and the New York Police Department are expected to release more information about the case at a news conference Tuesday afternoon.
Plaintiffs in the lawsuit filed last year also accused Abercrombie of being involved in sex trafficking. The lawsuit says the company ignored the allegations made against Mr. Jeffries. An Abercrombie spokeswoman declined to comment on Mr. Jeffries' arrest or the lawsuit against the retailer.
Abercrombie had previously said the company was "appalled and disgusted" by the allegations against its former boss. The retailer hired an outside law firm to investigate the allegations last year.
Brian Bieber, a lawyer for Mr. Jeffries, declined to comment on the sex trafficking allegations but said Mr. Jeffries' legal team intends to "respond in detail to the allegations" in court "when appropriate."
Brittany Henderson, a partner at the law firm representing the plaintiffs in the class action suit against Abercrombie and Jeffries, said the arrests were "monumental for the aspiring male models who were victimized by these individuals."
"Their fight for justice does not end here," Ms. Henderson said. "Our clients look forward to holding Abercrombie and Fitch accountable for enabling this horrific conduct and ensuring that this cannot happen again."
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