Abercrombie & Fitch is investigating its former CEO after a BBC report detailed allegations of how he and his partner sexually exploited young men.
The ex-CEO of Abercrombie & Fitch is facing allegations that he and his partner sexually exploited men at lavish parties around the world, many of whom were recruited under the impression they would gain a modeling career with the brand.
Identified by the BBC as James Jacobson, this middleman lured some participants with the prospect of becoming an A&F model, while others said they were recruited knowing sex would be involved, just not exactly in the way it really was. Other men say they would arrive at these events to find multiple other male recruits, all coerced into sexually engaging with Jeffries and Smith. The pair would have sex with about four men or"direct" the recruits to have sex with each other, the BBC reports. Afterward, staff at the events would hand them envelopes filled with thousands of dollars.
These testimonies from the male subjects were extensively fact-checked, the BBC says, including verifying documents like emails and travel itineraries and interviewing other sources, including household staff. In a statement, A&F said it was"appalled and disgusted" by the alleged behavior of their former leader and that it has launched an independent investigation into issues raised by the BBC's investigation. It said the company's current leadership team wasn't aware of the allegations against Jeffries.
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