00:00To anyone who thinks they can exploit and coerce others by using the so-called
00:05casting couch system, this case should serve as a warning. Prepare to trade that
00:12couch for a bed in federal prison. But while Jeffries was the CEO of one of the
00:18most recognizable clothing retailers in the world, he was using his power, his
00:25wealth, and his influence to traffic men for his own sexual pleasure and that of
00:32his romantic partner Matthew Smith. But beyond simply hiring men for sex,
00:38Jeffries, Smith, and Jacobson used force, fraud, and coercion to traffic those men
00:47for their own sexual gratification. For example, as alleged, the defendants
00:54employed a referral system and an interview process that did not inform
01:01the men of the details of the sex events before they attended, including the full
01:07extent and nature of the sexual activity that would be required of the men at
01:12these events. They caused the men to believe that attending these sex events
01:17could yield modeling opportunities with Abercrombie or otherwise benefit their
01:22careers. Smith and Jeffries employed a secret staff to operate these sex events.
01:31The indictment alleges on more than one occasion when men did not or could not
01:38consent, Jeffries and Smith violated the bodily integrity of these men by
01:44subjecting them or continuing to subject them to invasive sexual and violent
01:51contact by body parts and other objects. The defendants caused the men to believe
01:59that not complying with requests for certain acts, sex acts, during the events
02:04could harm their careers. The defendants pressured the men to consume alcohol,
02:11Viagra, and muscle relaxants known as poppers during the sex events, and they
02:17required the presence of staff during the sexual activity and ensured that the
02:22men did not leave the sex events until Jeffries and Smith decided that the
02:29sessions were over. They spent millions of dollars on a massive infrastructure
02:34to support this operation and maintain its secrecy. This included hundreds,
02:41thousands of dollars of cash for commercial sex, prolific amounts of money
02:47for staff to run the sex events, money for domestic travel, international travel,
02:54hotel rooms, services from a security company, and Jacobson's salary, among other things.
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