The video exposes a scandal involving Michael Jeffries, the former CEO of Abercrombie and Fitch, and his partner Matthew Smith. They are facing serious criminal charges related to sex trafficking, accused of exploiting aspiring fashion models under the guise of career advancement opportunities. Allegedly, Jeffries and Smith, along with collaborator James Jacobson, orchestrated a systematic and exploitative scheme using their positions of power to exploit men sexually for over seven years.

The FBI, NYPD, and federal prosecutors outline the investigation's disturbing findings, revealing that Jeffries and Smith were involved in organizing international sex trafficking operations. The alleged misconduct, involving coercion, deception, and manipulation, took place between 2008 and 2015, utilizing international travel to fulfill their intentions. The video calls attention to the brave victims who courageously stepped forward, which facilitated the charges and investigation of these events.

Main takeaways from the video:

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Key Vocabularies and Common Phrases:

1. trafficking [ˈtræfɪkɪŋ] - (n.) - The illegal trade of goods or people, particularly in the context of human trafficking which involves exploitation. - Synonyms: (smuggling, trading, dealing)

Mike Jeffries, and his British partner, Matthew Smith, are facing criminal charges for sex trafficking.

2. prosecutors [ˈprɑːsəˌkjuːtərz] - (n.) - Legal officials who bring charges against a person or organization in a court of law. - Synonyms: (lawyers, attorneys, district attorneys)

This news conference has just started. It's with US Federal prosecutors, the FBI and nypd.

3. indictment [ɪnˈdaɪtmənt] - (n.) - A formal charge or accusation of a serious crime. - Synonyms: (accusation, charge, allegation)

As we allege in the indictment, between 1992 and 2014, Michael Jeffries was the chief executive officer of Abercrombie and Fitch.

4. coercion [koʊˈɜːrʒən] - (n.) - The act of compelling or forcing someone to act in an involuntary manner by use of threats or intimidation. - Synonyms: (compulsion, pressure, force)

But beyond simply hiring men for sex, Jeffries, Smith and Jacobson use force, fraud and coercion to traffic those men for their own sexual gratification

5. fraud [frɔːd] - (n.) - Wrongful or criminal deception intended to result in financial or personal gain. - Synonyms: (deception, deceit, trickery)

Jeffries, Smith and Jacobson use force, fraud and coercion to traffic those men for their own sexual gratification.

6. recruiter [rɪˈkruːtər] - (n.) - A person responsible for finding and attracting candidates for employment or participation. - Synonyms: (scout, talent finder, staffing agent)

Jeffries and Smith employed James Jacobson to act as a recruiter to find men.

7. exploitation [ˌeksplɔɪˈteɪʃən] - (n.) - The act of making use of a situation or treating someone unfairly for one's own advantage. - Synonyms: (utilization, manipulation, misuse)

And also I'd like to thank the dedicated investigators and personnel from the FBI NYPD Child exploitation Human trafficking Task Force

8. collaborator [kəˈlæbəˌreɪtər] - (n.) - A person who works jointly on an activity or project; an associate. - Synonyms: (partner, associate, co-worker)

They are facing serious criminal charges related to sex trafficking, accused of exploiting aspiring fashion models under the guise of career advancement opportunities.

9. infrastructure [ˈɪnfrəˌstrʌkʧər] - (n.) - The basic physical and organizational structures and facilities needed for the operation of a society or enterprise. - Synonyms: (framework, foundation, facilities)

They spent millions of dollars on a massive infrastructure to support this operation and maintain its secrecy.

10. subjugate [ˈsʌbdʒəˌɡeɪt] - (v.) - To bring under domination or control, especially by conquest. - Synonyms: (conquer, defeat, crush)

Jeffries, Smith and Jacobson use force, fraud and coercion to traffic those men for their own sexual gratification.

Ex-Abercrombie & Finch CEO Mike Jeffries arrested on sex trafficking charges - BBC News

Straight to breaking news, because the former CEO of the fashion giant Abercrombie and Fitch, Mike Jeffries, and his British partner, Matthew Smith, are facing criminal charges for sex trafficking. This news conference has just started. It's with US Federal prosecutors, the FBI and NYPD. So let's put the microphones up as a warning. Prepare to trade that couch for a bed in federal prison. The message from today's prosecution is clear. Sexually exploiting vulnerable human beings is a crime. And doing so by dangling dreams of a future in fashion or modeling or any other business is no different. My office and our law enforcement partners will always prioritize standing up for victims, no matter their gender and no matter how powerful the wrongdoers think they are, we will hold them to account.

As we allege in the indictment, between 1992 and 2014, Michael Jeffries was the chief executive officer of Abercrombie and Fitch. Abercrombie was a widely known clothing retailer with stores around the world. Aspiring fashion models knew that a place on one of Abercrombie's iconic ads could be the ticket to success in the modeling industry. But while Jeffries was the CEO of one of the most recognizable clothing retailers in the world, he was using his power, his wealth, and his influence to traffic men for his own sexual pleasure and that of his romantic partner, Matthew Smith. The charging documents describe in graphic and disturbing detail the violent and exploitive acts these defendants perpetrated for which they will now face justice in a court here in the Eastern District of New York.

So here's what's alleged in the indictment. Jeffries and Smith employed James Jacobson to act as a recruiter to find men. Jacobson engaged in, quote, tryouts with men across the world, where he would typically pay them to engage in sex acts with him. Following the tryouts with Jacobson, Smith would often then personally approve whether the men who were selected would meet Jeffries and Smith. The defendants would fly the selected men to Jeffries and Smith's homes in the Hamptons in New York City, or to hotels around the world in such places as England, France, Italy, Morocco and St. Barts for the purpose of attending events to engage in commercial sex.

But beyond simply hiring men for sex, Jeffries, Smith and Jacobson use force, fraud and coercion to traffic those men for their own sexual gratification. For example, as alleged, the defendants employed a referral system and an interview process that did not inform the men of the details of the sex events before they attended, including the full extent and nature of the sexual activity that would be required of the men at these events. They caused the men to believe that attending these sex events could yield modeling opportunities with Abercrombie or otherwise benefit their careers.

Smith and Jeffries employed a secret staff to operate these sex events. The staff ensured that the men signed non disclosure agreements and handed over their personal items such as their phones before the start of the events. To maintain the secrecy of these events, the defendants caused the men to believe that not complying with requests for certain acts, sex acts during the events could harm their careers. The defendants pressured the men to consume alcohol, Viagra and muscle relaxants known as poppers during the sex events. And they required the presence of staff during the sexual activity and ensured that the men did not leave the sex events until Jeffries and Smith decided that the sessions were over.

Also, as alleged, on more than one occasion, Jeffries and Smith either directed others to inject or personally injected men with an erection inducing substance for the purpose of causing the men to engage in sex acts the men were incapable of engaging in or unwilling to engage in. Additionally, the indictment alleges, on more than one occasion when men did not or could not consent, Jeffries and Smith violated the bodily integrity of these men by subjecting them or continuing to subject them to invasive sexual violent contact by body parts and other objects as alleged in the indictment.

Jeffrey, Smith and Jacobson didn't just carry this activity on for a couple of occasions. Their sex trafficking and prostitution enterprise lasted at least from the end of 2008 until early 2015. During that period, the defendants hired dozens of men and transported them to New York and around the globe. They spent millions of dollars on a massive infrastructure to support this operation and maintain its secrecy. This included hundreds, thousands of dollars of cash for commercial sex, prolific amounts of money for staff to run the sex events, money for domestic travel, international travel, hotel rooms, surface services from a security company, and Jacobson salary, among other things.

Now, this investigation remains ongoing. Although there are 15 John Do's identified as victims in this indictment. This interstate prostitution venture encompassed dozens and dozens of men. And I encourage anyone with information about this case, including anyone who was a victim of the defendant's alleged crimes, to contact the FBI. 1-800- call FBI now. I want to thank the victims who have already come forward for sharing their stories.

Prosecutions like this are really impossible without the bravery of victims who are willing to report what happened to them to law enforcement. This office, the Department of Justice and its law enforcement partners will continue to work tirelessly to protect victims from powerful individuals who use their wealth and their Influence to exploit and harm others for sexual gratification.

In addition to my team, I'd like to give special thanks to FBI Special Agent Amanda Young and NYPD detectives Paul Byrne and Antonio Pagan who have worked hard on this investigation in the pursuit of justice. I'll now turn it over to FBI Assistant Director in Charge Dennehy.

Thank you, Brianne. Good afternoon. I'm Jim Dennehy, Assistant Director in charge of the FBI's New York Field office. Today's indictment highlights the abhorrent behavior of Michael Jeffries, Matthew Smith and James Jacobson. What's alleged in the indictment is not only beyond disturbing, dishonorable and disgraceful, but simply put, it's criminal. In short, these individuals are charged with running a prostitution and international sex trafficking business using a combination of force, fraud and coercion to induce victims into participating in their illegal operations.

The alleged behavior occurred here in New York City and in multiple countries worldwide. The defendants allegedly preyed on the hopes and dreams of their victims by exploiting, abusing and silencing them to fulfill their own desires with insidious secret intentions. Despite the alleged efforts of Jeffries, Smith and Jacobson to conceal their crimes, efforts that included threatening victims and requiring them to sign non disclosure agreements, among other things, their plan failed. This case is yet another example of individuals using their wealth, power or reputation to manipulate and control others for their own personal interests.

I'd like to speak for a second to the victims in this case and others. Both those who have come forward and those we believe are still out there. The FBI and our partners make it our mission to prioritize those who have been victimized by sexual predators. We know victims come from all walks of life. They're our neighbors, our friends and members of our community. We won't allow these criminal acts to go unchecked.

We know our agency, however, cannot combat this threat alone. And we remain committed to investigating and bringing these cases forward to prosecution with our partners. We have dedicated teams ready to listen to you and to advocate for you. And we have victim specialists available to provide the necessary resources you need. If you or someone you know is a victim in this case or any other, the number to call is 1-800- call FBI or online at tips.FBI.gov we are committed to ensuring you not only get the assistance you need to cope, but also that you're aware of your rights.

I'd like to thank the U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Brion Peace, and The members of EDNY's Civil Rights Section and Long Island Division's Criminal Section. I'd also like to thank the NYPD's detective bureau and its Specialty Enforcement Division and Special Victims Division, as well as the FBI's Miami and Milwaukee field offices. And also I'd like to thank the dedicated investigators and personnel from the FBI NYPD Child exploitation Human trafficking Task Force. Once again, we are waiting to hear from you, and we're here to help you. The number to call is 1-800- call FBI.

Thank you. And now I'd like to turn it over to Deputy Chief Ortiz. Hello. My name is Deputy Chief Carlos Ortiz. I am the commanding officer of the NYPD Special Victims Unit. Good morning, everyone, and thank you for joining us this afternoon. The NYPD is committed to fighting for all victims of sexual violence. We stand here today with our federal partners as we continue that mission. Our coordinated. Our continued collaboration allows us the necessary resources to ensure successful prosecutions.

First of all, I want to thank Attorney Pierce, FBI Assistant Director in Charge Dennehy, and their staff, along with my Human trafficking unit led by Captain Chase and Lieutenant Picarello for their diligent work in regards to this case. As evident by today's announcement. We hope our work is able to bring some sense of dignity back to these survivors. The NYPD encourages all survivors of sexual based violence, including trafficking, to come forward and speak with us, regardless of gender, immigration status, race, or sexual orientation. Our investigators are equipped to handle all reports.

Our joint federal teams remain committed to end all human trafficking. The mission and obligation of the NYPD Special Victims Unit is to provide a voice for those that feel unheard. We are here for you. Together with our federal partners, we will continue to fight for the victims of the city and all over the country.

Thank you. We'll take a few questions. The indictment says that this alleged conduct ended in 2015. Why did it take nearly a decade for you to come to this moment and did it just suddenly stop in 2015? And then if you would also say a word about the intersection of the civil lawsuits with the criminal prosecutors.

Yeah. So, you know, these prosecutions really did depend, as I said earlier, on the bravery of the victims to come forward and tell their stories that happened in this case once that happened. Our team and our law enforcement partners investigated this case thoroughly and quickly. And we're now arriving at this day when we're charging the conduct. So I say to all victims, we're here. We will listen. We will investigate and bring charges where appropriate.

The intersection of the civil lawsuits there really is we.

Well, there we're going to come away from that news conference from US Federal prosecutors, the FBI, NYPD, giving disturbing details as they lay out the details and the charges against the former CEO of the fashion giant Abercrombie and Fitch, Mike Jeffries and his British partner, Matthew Smith, as well as a third party, a recruiter who we heard details about. And just let me take you through the key parts of what we heard. They talked there about the aspiring fashion models who were being then transferred and trafficked by Mike Jeffries, using his power and influence, trafficking those men for his sexual pleasure, detailed the violent acts that were perpetrated against them.

They talked about a recruiter being involved who would try out there would be paid sexual encounters by that third party. And these men were flown to the UK, to Italy, to hotels around the world. Force and coercion was used to traffic the men. Smith and Jeffreys employing secret staff to organize those events, forcing those men to sign NDA agreements to maintain secrecy, non compliance. They said it would mean harming their careers and of course, the time. And you heard that question just now. It lasted till 2015, started in 2008, and only now coming to light with these charges, these arrests. And of course, it followed that BBC investigation and the FBI opening their investigation after that BBC documentary revealing the claims against Mike Jeffries and his partner sexually exploiting and abusing men at a whole series of events in their New York residences and hotels around the world.

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