Abercrombie & Fitch ex-boss 'arrested on sex-trafficking charges'

The former boss of Abercrombie & Fitch has been arrested and is facing sex trafficking charges alongside his British partner.

Mike Jeffries, 80, who ran the fashion house for more than 20 years between 1992 and 2014, was arrested in Florida alongside his partner, Matthew Smith, 61, and an alleged middle-man. The trio were arrested in the US on Tuesday morning, with the FBI and prosecutor's office expected to reveal more details in a press conference later today.

Prosecutors for the US Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of New York said in a statement that they "launched a criminal investigation of the alleged events and occurrences" discussed in a complaint from the plaintiff. The FBI opened a sex trafficking investigation last year following claims aired in a documentary.

Jeffries and his partner were alleged to have abused and sexually exploited men during events at their New York residences and at hotels around the between 2009 and 2015. Lawyers representing Jeffries and Smith have "vehemently denied" the two were responsible for any wrongdoing.

They added in a statement: "The courtroom is where we will deal with this matter." The investigation, the BBC reported, uncovered a sophisticated operation involving a middleman and network of recruiters said to have been tasked with recruiting men for these events.

Civil lawyer Brad Edwards of legal firm Edwards Henderson, who is representing some of the alleged victims, confirmed the arrests in a statement today, hailing them as "monumental". He said: "These arrests are a huge first step towards obtaining justice for the many victims who were exploited and abused through this sex-trafficking scheme that operated for many years under the legitimate cover Abercrombie provided.

"The unprecedented reporting of the BBC, coupled with the lawsuit our firm filed detailing the operation, are to credit for these monumental arrests. This was the result of impressive investigative journalism." Brittany Henderson, of the same firm, told CNBC in the US: “Today’s arrests are monumental for the aspiring male models who were victimized by these individuals.”

“Their fight for justice does not end here. We look forward to holding Abercrombie and Fitch liable for facilitating this terrible conduct and ensuring that this cannot happen again."