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Michael Jeffries, the former CEO of Abercrombie & Fitch, was arrested and is expected to face sex trafficking charges, according to several media reports.
Jeffries, who served as CEO of the clothing company from 1992 to 2014, and several others, were arrested Tuesday morning, according to the BBC, which has investigated Jeffries.
Formal charges are expected to be announced at a news conference today, the BBC and NBC reported.
NBC News reported that Jeffries was arrested in West Palm Beach, Florida, and that the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York will hold a press conference on the charges at noon.
More:The Fitch is Back: How Abercrombie bred a renaissance by appealing to Millennials
Lawyers for Jeffries and Smith have previously “vehemently denied” any wrongdoing by both men, according to the BBC.
Abercrombie said last year it is “appalled and disgusted” over the allegations in the BBC report, and that it has hired a law firm to investigate the allegations.
The arrests follow a class-action lawsuit filed last year against Jeffries and Abercrombie alleging the retailer looked the other way while Jeffries ran a sex-trafficking ring and sexually assaulted numerous young men.
“In exchange for providing the position of power and unfettered access to corporate funds necessary for Jeffries to sexually terrorize aspiring male models, Abercrombie knowingly and intentionally benefited and received things of value from Jeffries and his sex-trafficking operation, including the value Jeffries himself brought to the brand,” the lawsuit said.
Late last year, Jeffries sued his former employer because it refused to cover his costs from the lawsuit.
Jeffries became president and CEO of Abercrombie in 1992 when the small, money-losing chain formerly known for selling sporting equipment and clothes was part of Leslie H. Wexner’s retail empire called The Limited at the time. Jeffries became chairman in 1996 and The Limited spun off the chain into an independent company in 1998. Jeffries left the company in 2014.
