Wisconsin man arrested in sex trafficking case connected to former Abercrombie & Fitch CEO

RICE LAKE, Wis. (FOX 9) - A western Wisconsin man is facing charges in a sex trafficking case connected to the former CEO of clothing company Abercrombie & Fitch.

What we know

James Jacobson, of Rice Lake, Wisconsin, was arrested on Tuesday and is facing charges related to the investigation into former Abercrombie & Fitch CEO Mike Jeffries.

Jeffries, his former partner Matthew Smith, and Jacobson were charged in a 16-count indictment filed last week.

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The indictment alleges that between December 2008 and March 2015, Smith and Jacobson used a combination of force, fraud and coercion to traffic men while operating a prostitution enterprise.

The U.S. Attorney's Office says: "Jeffries and Smith not only relied on their financial resources and Jeffries’ power as the CEO of Abercrombie, but also on numerous others, including Jacobson and a network of employees, contractors and security professionals, to operate this venture, which was dedicated to fulfilling their sexual desires."

According to the indictment, Jeffries and Smith allegedly paid for men to travel across the U.S. and internationally to engage in commercial sex acts at "Sex Events." Jacobson is accused of recruiting and interviewing potential participants, often requiring candidates to first engage in sex acts with him as part of their "tryouts."

Authorities say many of the victims were financially vulnerable and some were as young as age 19. Some had previously worked at Abercrombie stores or modeled for the clothing company.

Jeffries served as the Abercrombie CEO between 1992 and 2014.

What's next?

Jacobson appeared in court in St. Paul on Tuesday. The U.S. Attorney of the Eastern District of New York is overseeing the case.

Attorneys are urging anyone who may have been victims of the trio to come forward and contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI.