BARRON COUNTY (NBC 26) — A Rice Lake man is one of the defendants charged with sex trafficking and engaging in interstate prostitution alongside former CEO of Abercrombie & Fitch Michael Jeffries.
The Barron County Sheriff's Department has confirmed they assisted the FBI on the arrest of James Jacobson of Rice Lake Tuesday morning.
According to a press release from the U.S. Attorney's Office, Jacobson was allegedly a recruiter for former CEO of Abercrombie & Fitch, Michael Jeffries, and his life partner Matthew Smith, who is also facing charges.
Jacobson is accused of using the duo's "Money and influence to prey on vulnerable men for their own sexual gratification," United States Attorney Breon Peace wrote in the release.
The Rice Lake man allegedly traveled around the United States and internationally to recruit and interview men for "Sex events". Jacobson would require candidates to engage in commercial sex acts with him, the indictment alleges.
At least one victim was as young as 19 years old, according to the release.
Each defendant could face life imprisonment as maximum sentence and mandatory 15 years in prison at minimum, if convicted on the sex trafficking charges. Defendants could face maximum sentence of 20 years in prison if convicted on the interstate prostitution charges.
The U.S. Attorney's Office in the Eastern District of New York encourages those who believe to be victims of a crime inflicted by Michael Jeffries, Matthew Smith or James Jacobson, to contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI.
