He sits in front of the judge and looks straight at me, chin up, lips pursed.
Because of my reporting, the FBI detained him this week and accused him with operating a global prostitution and sex trafficking operation with his British accomplice, Matthew Smith, and their middleman, James Jacobson.
The Abercrombie Guys podcast series, in which I uncovered evidence that Mr. Jeffries, 80, and Mr. Smith, 61, had been at the center of a complex international operation including a network of recruiters and a middleman scout, prompted authorities to take action.
I was told that Mike Jeffries, the CEO of the adolescent store Abercrombie & Fitch, was a quirky, superstitious genius who represented the youthful All-American brand he founded with his highlighted hair, love of flip-flops, and plastic surgery.
However, he appeared to be a shadow of the mogul who allegedly abused vulnerable models with his might and influence while in charge, as evidenced by his white hair, dissolved fillers, and ankle monitor.
According to US authorities, he and the other defendants coerced individuals into performing violent and exploitative sex acts between at least 2008 and 2015 by using force, fraud, and compulsion. They could spend up to life behind bars if found guilty.
