Sex Trafficking Victims of Abercrombie & Fitch Head Mike Jeffries: W&L Taking Cases

Weitz & Luxenberg is planning on filing lawsuits on behalf of victims of sex trafficking who were lured and coerced by former Abercrombie & Fitch CEO Mike Jeffries. Jeffries and two associates, Matthew Smith and James Jacobson, were arrested Tuesday, October 22. ⁽¹⁾

Jeffries, Smith, and Jacobson are facing charges of sex trafficking and interstate prostitution. Currently, the court has recognized 15 possible victims. Many of the victims were male models. ⁽²⁾

Weitz & Luxenberg is taking immediate action. In our lawsuits, we intend to claim the defendants violated a specific law called the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act (TVPRA). The defendants violated federal law by promising them opportunities for legal, paid male model work but, instead, engaged them in sex trafficking activities.

W&L Encourages Victims of Sex Trafficking to Reach Out

According to a federal indictment, Jeffries, Smith, and Jacobson ran a sex trafficking and prostitution business internationally from 2008 to 2015. They held sex parties in New York City and the Hamptons, as well as abroad in England, France, Italy, St. Barts, and Morocco. ⁽³⁾

The federal indictment calls the defendants tactics in their sex trafficking operation coercive, fraudulent, and deceptive. Jeffries, Smith, and Jacobson used these tactics in recruiting, hiring, transporting, soliciting, and paying their sex trafficking victims for commercial sexual activity. ⁽⁴⁾

The defendants lied, misleading their victims into believing their involvement in the sex parties would lead to modeling and other career opportunities. The victims of these sex crimes were placed into vulnerable positions not only sexually, but also financially. They were expected to sign nondisclosure agreements and were otherwise coerced into remaining silent. ⁽⁵⁾

“What these defendants are charged with is reprehensible,” says Weitz & Luxenberg attorney Jared Scotto. “They preyed on impressionable young men who trusted them. And the defendants betrayed that trust in some of the most horrific ways possible. This is unconscionable.”

Weitz & Luxenberg encourages anyone who was sexually violated or otherwise traumatized by the actions of these men to reach out to us. We are prepared to seek the justice you deserve.

Sex Trafficking Crimes Making the Headlines

Mike Jeffries, Matthew Smith, and James Jacobson are just three names making the headlines for sex trafficking and prostitution crimes. Sean P. “Diddy” Combs is another recent scandal. And let us not forget the abominable actions of Jeffrey Epstein, who was involved in the sex trafficking of minors, only to later hang himself in prison.

Here again, we have celebrities or other persons in a position of power preying on vulnerable populations. Whether the attacks involve men, women, or children, the federal government recognizes the heinousness of these crimes.

Federal Law Prohibits Sex Trafficking

Our federal laws prohibiting sex trafficking can be traced to the 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, it bars slavery and involuntary servitude. Prior to 2000, laws involving human trafficking were a patchwork of statutes related to involuntary servitude and slavery. ⁽⁶⁾

Over the past couple of decades, Congress has passed multiple bills intended “to bring the full power and attention of the federal government to the fight against human trafficking.” These are the laws that guide us today: ⁽⁷⁾

• The Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000
• The Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2003
• The Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2005
• The William Wilberforce Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2008
• The Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2013
• The Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act of 2015
• The Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2017
• Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2017
• The Frederick Douglass Trafficking Victims Prevention and Protection Reauthorization Act of 2018

Sex-Trafficking Victims Deserve Justice

At Weitz & Luxenberg, we believe all victims deserve justice. Particularly in cases where people have been misled, betrayed, and physically violated and assaulted. W&L intends to hold all responsible parties accountable.

Too often, victims of such heinous crimes have been traumatized emotionally, physically, and sexually. They lack the resources necessary to stand up to their violators. That is where Weitz & Luxenberg is proud to step in and offer the legal support necessary to hold the perpetrators to account. Such contemptible conduct should not be allowed.

W&L has recovered millions of dollars in 2024 for victims of sexual assault. Reach out to us today so we can help you, too. Call W&L today at (833) 977-3437 or fill out our online form.