The former Abercrombie & Fitch CEO has been arrested on sex trafficking charges following an FBI investigation, reports have said.
Mike Jeffries, his partner Matthew Smith and another man were arrested on Tuesday morning with more details expected to come shortly, the BBC reported.
The federal sex trafficking inestigation was opened last year following claims that Mr Jeffries and his partner had sexually abused and exploited men at events in New York and around the world.
A lawyer representing some of the alleged victims confirmed the arrests in a statement to the BBC and said: “These arrests are a huge first step towards obtaining justice for the many victims who were exploited and abused through this sex-trafficking scheme that operated for many years under the legitimate cover Abercrombie provided.”
Mr Jeffries and Mr Smith have both previously denied any wrongdoing.
The former boss of the international clothing company stepped down in 2014 and has since been accused of rrunning a sex trafficking operation during his tenure.
David Bradberry, a former model for Abercrombie & Fitch, sued the fashion retailer alleging it allowed Mr Jeffries to run a sex-trafficking organization during his 22-year tenure.
The lawsuit was filed following a BBC investigation that found that Mr Jeffries and his British partne allegedly exploited young adult men for sex at events hosted by them in London, New York, and Marrakesh.
It accused Mr Jeffries of exploiting his position to “ensnare” more than 100 male victims with free clothes and gift cards, and false promises about modeling opportunities, according to the Delaware complaint.
Abercrombie & Fitch in a statement in October said: “For close to a decade, a new executive leadership team and refreshed board of directors have successfully transformed our brands and culture into the values-driven organization we are today.”
“We have zero tolerance for abuse, harassment or discrimination of any kind.”