Dozens of men have filed a class action lawsuit alleging Abercrombie & Fitch was complicit in a decade-long sex trafficking scheme carried out by the fashion company’s former CEO. According to the complaint filed in federal court in New York, Michael Jeffries, who ran the company between 1992 and 2014, used his role to prey upon attractive young men who believed that Jeffries would hire them as Abercrombie models. The complaint alleges Jeffries ran an expansive sex-trafficking operation, coercing and forcing young men to engage in sexual acts in exchange for money and promises of employment. The lawsuit states that, in a series of instances, one aspiring model was invited to multiple Abercrombie & Fitch casting events in New York, France, and London, and was sexually assaulted at least seven times at these events. According to the lawsuit, the total number of victims is believed to exceed 100. The plaintiffs are seeking a trial by jury, as well as punitive and compensatory damages. The complaint also names Jeffries’ long-time partner Matthew Smith as a defendant claiming that he sexually assaulted men alongside Jeffries. While Smith did not hold any official position at the company, he was still given access to non-public information such as sales reports and financial documents.
Sex Trafficking Victims Claim Abercrombie & Fitch Aided Former CEO In Abusing Them
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An inductee into the Chicago LGBT Hall of Fame, Gregg is the author of nine books, including the forthcoming Refrain In Light. An entertainment journalist whose celebrity interviews and music reviews run in a variety of regional LGBTQ+ and mainstream publications and websites, his movie review column called Screen Savor can be found in South Florida Gay News, San Francisco’s Bay Area Reporter, Rottentomatoes.com and more.
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