The former CEO of Abercrombie & Fitch was charged Tuesday by federal prosecutors in Brooklyn for allegedly running a sex trafficking ring in the Hamptons to satisfy his sexual decadence at the expense of unwitting men.

Michael S. Jeffries, who led Abercrombie & Fitch between 1992 and 2014, along with his life partner Matthew C. Smith and colleague James T. Jacobson, are accused of coercing numerous men into being part of ‘ an international sex trafficking and prostitution operation,” the indictment states.

The sole purpose of the enterprise, federal prosecutors said, was to allegedly satisfy the sexual appetites of the three defendants without tarnishing Jeffries’ “powerful reputation.” The recruited victims were allegedly tricked into joining the ring with empty promises of modeling under the lucrative Abercrombie label – but once ensnared, they were forced to participate in sex acts against their will and sign non-disclosure agreements.

Jeffries, Smith and Jacobson are charged with 16 counts of sex trafficking and interstate prostitution. According to U.S. Attorney Breon Peace of the Eastern District of New York, Jeffries and Smith were arrested this morning in Florida and are scheduled to be arraigned in federal court later Tuesday, while Jacobson was apprehended in Minnesota and will be arraigned Tuesday at a St. Paul office . courtroom.

“As alleged in the indictment, former Abercrombie CEO Michael Jeffries, his partner Matthew Smith and their recruiter James Jacobson used their money and influence to prey on vulnerable men for their own sexual gratification,” Peace said. “Today’s arrests demonstrate that my office and our law enforcement partners will not rest until everyone engaged in sex trafficking or interstate prostitution, regardless of their wealth or power, is brought to justice.”

amNewYork Metro reached out to Abercrombie & Fitch for comment, but a company spokesperson declined to do so for this story.

No fewer than 15 men — at least one of whom was just 19 years old at the time — were part of the illegal operation and testified before the grand jury, the charges say.

Each recruit was paid to travel to locations across the US, including Jeffries’ home at Water Mill in the Hamptons, and around the world to participate in rendezvous with Jeffries and Smith, as well as major “sex events” with others .

Federal prosecutors said the men were allegedly recruited by Jacobson, who often auditioned each participant by engaging them in sex acts.

According to the indictment, the ring “intentionally recruited heterosexual men, some of whom were unwilling to engage in certain sexual acts, including anal sex,” but nevertheless forced them to perform such acts during the sex events.

Often the participants of the sex event were flooded with alcohol, muscle relaxants, Viagra and sometimes penile injections to induce sexual arousal and cooperation. The men involved in the sex trafficking ring were instructed by Jeffries and Smith to wear costumes and use sex toys.

Prosecutors said the three defendants “used a referral system and review process that failed to inform men of the details of the sex events before they attended.” Instead, they were offered itineraries that “resembled those often sent to models for photo shoots.”

Once they arrived for the alleged shoot, the victims of the sex trafficking ring were forced to hand over their communication devices to staff and forced to sign non-disclosure agreements to keep their involvement secret – with the threat that it could ruin their chance at promised modeling work. opportunities that never came.

Some men were also anally penetrated or given high-pressure enemas without their consent, prosecutors noted.

Each defendant faces 15 years to life in federal prison if convicted on the sex trafficking charge, and up to 20 years in prison on each interstate prostitution charge if convicted.