More than 40 men have accused the former Abercrombie & Fitch (A&F) CEO of rape, sexual assault or drugging, lawyers told the New York Times.Bi-bi-si".

Mike Jeffries, who was charged with sex trafficking in October, is facing multiple civil lawsuits alleging he assaulted men under the guise of modeling opportunities with the fashion brand.

The latest allegations date back to the 1990s, when Jeffries first started working at A&F, and the alleged victims now include employees of the company as well as former models, lawyers say.

Jeffries denied all allegations previously made against him.

Former Abercombie & Fitch boss, Mike Jeffries, now facing abuse claims from 40 men.

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A&F is also being sued for negligence in the lawsuits, alleging it knowingly enabled the "disgusting sexual crimes" of Jeffries and his British life partner, Matthew Smith.

The company – which also owns the Hollister brand – did not respond to requests for comment, but previously said it was “appalled and shocked” by Jeffries’ alleged behavior.

In the latest allegations, some men say they were already employees at A&F when they were sexually assaulted, raising questions about what steps the company took to protect staff and hold Jeffries accountable while he was CEO and chairman between 1992 and 2014.

Now 80, Jeffries is under house arrest after pleading not guilty to charges of running an international sex trafficking and prostitution ring along with his partner Smith, 61, and their middleman James Jacobson, 72.

Their arrests followed a 2023 BBC podcast and documentary that revealed they were behind a highly organised operation to recruit young men for sex across the US, Europe and North Africa. They face a maximum sentence of life in prison if convicted.

Brad Edwards, a civil trial lawyer, told the BBC that he is now representing 26 alleged victims in a lawsuit seeking class action status – where one or more people sue on behalf of a wider group.

"There is strength in numbers, so more men have come forward after the arrests," Edwards said, adding that many are cooperating with authorities and claiming it is likely more than 100 men in total are victims.

Lawyer Jared Scotto told the BBC he is also representing more than a dozen men who plan to take legal action, including some who say they were employees of A&F. He said the claims date back to the fall of 1992, the year Mike Jeffries joined the company.

"Many men are now coming forward to seek explanations and to understand what happened to them," Scotto said. "Now they know that these were not isolated cases – they were part of a dark, organized plan."

In addition to the class action lawsuit, two other lawsuits were recently filed in New York by men who claim they were raped by Jeffries while falsely promising them modeling opportunities.

The first of these lawsuits alleges that Brandon Steele and Joseph Sterling were repeatedly abused after being forced to take drugs and forced to undergo injections into their penises. This occurred at Abercrombie themed events where they were given branded clothing, the lawsuit states.

In the second lawsuit, two former models allege that Jeffries sexually assaulted them in 2011 at a casting call at the Setai Hotel in Miami for a photo shoot with A&F handbags. One alleges that Jeffries harassed him after first taking his picture and telling him, "Abercrombie models get special treatment."

Federal prosecutors in the US have said there have already been 15 victims in the crime, but according to the BBC, investigations are continuing and the number could rise.

In early March, the court ruled that A&F must cover Jeffries' legal costs - an amount expected to run into millions of dollars - for both the criminal and civil proceedings. Neither Jeffries nor Smith responded to further questions from the BBC.

Jeffries and Smith have also pleaded not guilty and strongly denied the charges in the civil lawsuits.

A&F reiterated that it had no knowledge of any wrongdoing or sex trafficking ring until the BBC reported on the matter in October 2023. It claims that the current management has transformed the company and operates a "zero tolerance" policy towards any form of abuse, harassment or discrimination. Following the BBC's revelations, the company launched an independent investigation and reduced Jeffries' £1 million annual retirement bonus, which he received in addition to his basic pension.