Matthew Smith, Jeffries’ partner, and a third man, James Jacobson, have also been arrested on the same charges.
At a press conference in New York, Breon Peace, the United States attorney for the Eastern District of New York, said the 80-year-old Jeffries used his “power, his wealth and his influence, to traffic men for his own sexual pleasure and his … romantic partner, Matthew Smith.”
Mr. Peace said the indictment alleges that Jeffries and Smith, 61, used Jacobson, 71, “to act as a recruiter to find them men.”
Jacobson would “participate in ‘trials’ with men around the world where he would usually pay them to perform sexual acts with him.”
Smith would then decide who would meet him and Jeffries and the selected men would fly to Jeffries and Smith’s homes or hotels around the world “with the intention of attending events to engage in commercial sex”.
Mr Peace claimed that all three defendants “used violence, fraud and coercion to traffic these men for their own sexual gratification”.
“They led men to believe that watching these sexual acts could lead to modeling opportunities with Abercrombie or otherwise benefit their careers,” Mr Peace claimed at a news conference.
“Smith and Jeffries used an undercover staff to manage these sexual encounters. Staff ensured the men signed non-disclosure agreements and turned in their personal belongings, such as their phones, before the events began to maintain the privacy of these events.”
James Dennehy, assistant director of the FBI in New York, said the indictment “highlights the despicable conduct” of Jeffries, Smith and Jacobson.
He said the allegations “are not only beyond disturbing, dishonorable and disgraceful, they are criminal”.
Jeffries was released on bail after posting a $10m (£7.7m) bond.
Jacobson was released on bail after posting a $500,000 (£385,069) bond.
Smith was detained.
Jeffries and Jacobson will be arraigned Friday at 3 p.m. local time in federal court on Long Island.
Jeffries’ attorney, Brian Bieber, said in an email to The Associated Press that he “will respond in detail to the allegations after the indictment is unsealed, and when appropriate, but plans to do so in court — not in the media.”
Attorneys for Smith did not immediately respond to requests for comment. He could not immediately become a lawyer for Jacobson
reached for comment.
Attorneys for Jeffries and Smith have previously “vehemently denied” any wrongdoing.
Jeffries left Abercrombie & Fitch in 2014.
Abercrombie last year said it had hired an outside law firm to conduct an independent investigation following a report of similar allegations aired by the BBC.
Abercrombie & Fitch declined to comment on Jeffries’ arrest.
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