Mike Jeffries is facing legal trouble.
The former CEO of Abercrombie & Fitch was arrested in Florida Oct. 22 and faces charges of one count of sex-trafficking and 15 counts of interstate prostitution, as seen in court documents obtained by E! News.
According to documents, his partner Matthew Smith of Florida and a third man, James Jacobson of Wisconsin, were also arrested and have likewise been charged with the same counts in connection with the case.
The filing alleges Jacobson was an employee of Smith and Jeffries' whose job was "to recruit, interview and hire men to perform commercial sex acts for and at the direction of Jeffries and Smith."
The document further claims Jeffries and Smith "relied on their vast financial resources, and numerous people, including Jacobson and a network of employees, contractors and security professionals, to run a business that was dedicated to fulfilling their sexual desires and ensuring that their international sex trafficking and prostitution business was kept secret, thereby maintaining Jeffries’ powerful reputation."
Jeffries, Smith and Jacobson are also accused within the document of coercing men into participating in these sexual events, and that the atmosphere at the events themselves was similarly coercive.
Jeffries and Smith are scheduled to appear in federal court on Oct. 22—the same day of their arrest—in the Southern District of Florida while Jacobson will appear in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin.
All three men will be arraigned in U.S. District Court in the Eastern District of New York at a later date.
While E! News reached out to lawyers for the three men for comment and did not hear back, Jeffries’ attorney Brian Bieber told NBC News, “We will respond in detail to the allegations after the Indictment is unsealed, and when appropriate, but plan to do so in the courthouse—not the media.”
The arrests come just over a year after Jeffries, 80, and Smith were the subject of an investigative report from the BBC that claimed the two exploited men at sex parties hosted by Jeffries.
According to the report, 12 men came forward about attending or organizing events between 2009 and 2015 that included sex acts for Jeffries and Smith. Of the 12, some said they’d been exploited or did not participate in the acts willingly.
At the time, lawyers for Jeffries and Smith "vehemently denied" any wrongdoing by both men to the BBC.
It was shortly after that Abercrombie & Fitch and Jeffries were sued for allegedly turning a blind eye to Jeffries’ misconduct, CNBC reported at the time, citing court records. The suit further alleged Jeffries sexually abused multiple men under the guise it would lead them to modeling contracts.
An attorney for the lawsuits Brittany Henderson told NBC News of the three arrests, “Today’s arrests are monumental for the aspiring male models who were victimized by these individuals. Their fight for justice does not end here.”
The statement continued, “We look forward to holding Abercrombie and Fitch liable for facilitating this terrible conduct and ensuring that this cannot happen again."
(E!, NBC News and CNBC are all part of the NBCUniversal family.)