Former Abercrombie & Fitch CEO Mike Jeffries is reportedly under investigation by the FBI following an in-depth investigation by the BBC that allegedly found he sexually abused men who wanted to work as models for the company.
The BBC reported FBI agents and federal prosecutors with the U.S. Courts Eastern District of New York specializing in potential sex crimes are interviewing and issuing subpoenas to potential witnesses in the case.
The BBC, last year, first interviewed several men who said Jeffries abused and exploited them in a sex-trafficking ring. The men claimed Jeffries and his partner Matthew Smith would engage in sexual activity with the men or "direct" them to have sex with each other under the guise of providing them modeling opportunities with the clothing company.
In October, a group of those men filed a civil lawsuit against Jeffries and his former company for his alleged actions between 1992 and 2014, when Jeffries stepped down as CEO.
The company has said in past statements that it is appalled and disgusted by the behavior described in the allegations against Jeffries. The company said its new executive leadership team and board of directors have transformed the brand and company culture and have zero tolerance for abuse, harassment or discrimination.
WOSU reached out to the FBI who declined to comment on any potential investigation. A lawyer for Jeffries declined to provide comment to the BBC.
