Abercrombie & Fitch and ex-CEO face sex-trafficking lawsuit

A lawsuit against fashion brand Abercrombie & Fitch - accusing the firm of funding a sex-trafficking operation - has been filed in New York.

The company allowed ex-CEO Mike Jeffries "unfettered access" to resources to support his "criminal enterprise", documents allege.

The lawsuit follows a BBC investigation into allegations Mr Jeffries exploited men at events he hosted while CEO.

A brand spokesperson said the company would not be commenting on the case.

A lawyer for Mr Jeffries said he would also not be commenting. "The courtroom is where we will deal with this matter," Brian H Bieber said in a statement.

The lawsuit also accuses Mr Jeffries and his British partner Matthew Smith of sex trafficking, sexual misconduct and rape. Mr Smith has also been contacted for comment.

The case has been brought under the New York Adult Survivors Act, which allows people to file civil sexual abuse claims that would have otherwise exceeded the statute of limitations.

It is a class action - where one or several people sue on behalf of a much larger group.

"Because of this lawsuit and the brave men that have come forward, Abercrombie will have to answer for its many unacceptable actions and inactions that have destroyed the lives of dozens of young men," said Brad Edwards, a civil lawyer who is now representing some of the alleged victims.

Earlier this month, the BBC published the findings of an investigation into a highly organised network that used a middleman to recruit young adult men for events with Mr Jeffries and Mr Smith. In response, Abercrombie & Fitch (A&F) - which also owns the Hollister brand - previously told the BBC it was "appalled and disgusted" by Mr Jeffries' alleged behaviour. Through his lawyer, Mr Jeffries declined to comment.

The lawsuit filed in the Southern District of New York claims that A&F knew, or should have known, it was providing the "financial lifeblood for a sex trafficking organisation" led by Mike Jeffries between at least 1992 and 2014 - while he was CEO of the company.

It alleges he used A&F's corporate resources including a jet, transportation, and unlimited amounts of cash to facilitate a sex-trafficking venture, which enabled him to accumulate "new victims at an alarming rate" and he also had access to aspiring models.

"Abercrombie cared about profiting and showed absolute loyalty to Jeffries, including a willingness to spend copious amounts of money on extravagant drug and sex parties, ignoring multiple red flags of criminality in Jeffries's corporate account activity," the legal document claims.

Company employees were aware of Mr Jeffries' sexually exploitative and abusive behaviour and a video that circulated within the corporate office showed him "sniffing what was believed to be cocaine off a man's penis," according to the lawsuit.

"While Abercrombie tried to prevent the video from being more widely disseminated, the company did nothing to discourage the behaviour captured in the video and in fact continued to financially reward Jeffries," it says.

If you're in the UK: Watch Panorama's The Abercrombie Guys: The Dark Side of Cool, on BBC iPlayer now and listen to the podcast series, World of Secrets: Season 1 - The Abercrombie Guys on BBC Sounds .

If you're in the US: The Abercrombie Guys: the Dark Side of Cool is available to watch on BBC Select.

And if you're outside the UK, listen to the podcast series, World of Secrets: Season 1 - The Abercrombie Guys, wherever you get your podcasts.

Mr Jeffries also required Abercrombie employees - says the legal paperwork - to "properly pack his sex toy bag for his business trips" and used the company email platform to co-ordinate with model scouts and make arrangements for the sexual abuse and exploitation of young male models, it claims.

The lawsuit accuses Abercrombie executives of turning a "blind eye" to his conduct because of the profit he generated for the company having transformed it from a failing retailer into a billion-dollar brand.

"With Abercrombie's complicity, Jeffries was free to sexually abuse dozens of men, paying a tremendous amount of cash in hush money, without the fear of detection by law enforcement," it claims.

The legal complaint is made by David Bradberry, now 37, a former model and actor, who was interviewed as part of the BBC's investigation.

On behalf of himself and others, Mr Bradberry makes allegations based on his "information and belief" that Mike Jeffries held castings at his homes and abroad, providing prospective brand models with A&F gift cards and clothing.

He alleges they were forced to take drugs and participate in sex acts with Mr Jeffries and his partner at Mr Jeffries' direction.

Mr Jeffries was "using the Abercrombie name... his power within the company, its clothing, its photographers, and its marketing materials in order to ensnare the young male victims into the sex-trafficking venture," the lawsuit claims.

It also accuses Mr Jeffries and his British partner Mr Smith of sexual misconduct, forcible touching and rape which resulted in physical and psychological injury and trauma to Mr Bradberry and others.

"Sexual exploitation does not discriminate based on gender. Men have been exploited in the modelling and fashion industries for decades," said Brittany Henderson, a civil lawyer also representing some of the alleged victims.

She added; "This case is paramount to expanding the #MeToo movement across genders and eradicating sexual exploitation in the entire industry, starting with Abercrombie & Fitch."

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