Recent cases involving powerful public figures have brought renewed attention to a topic that is often misunderstood: sex trafficking.
Former Abercrombie & Fitch CEO Michael Jeffries, his partner Matthew Smith, and recruiter James Jacobson are currently facing federal charges of sex trafficking and interstate prostitution. Prosecutors allege that between 2008 and 2015, they recruited men—some as young as 19—with promises of modeling opportunities, then used force, fraud, and coercion to exploit them at sex events in the U.S. and abroad. All three have pleaded not guilty, and as of 2026, the case remains ongoing. H.R.1248 - 106th congress (1999-2000): Violence against women act of 2000 | congress.gov | library of Congress. (n.d.). https://www.congress.gov/bill/106th-congress/house-bill/1248 Copy
Sex trafficking is the recruitment, harboring, transportation, provision, obtaining, patronizing, or soliciting of a person for the purposes of a commercial sex act, in which the commercial sex act is induced by force, fraud, or coercion, or in which the person induced to perform such an act has not attained 18 years of age.
Basically, no movement of people is required. If someone uses force, manipulation, or deception to gain a sexual favor… that’s sex trafficking. And if that victim is under 18, those criteria aren’t needed; by definition, the involvement of minors automatically implies sex trafficking.
- “Myth: Victims must be held physically captive”
Pop culture often portrays trafficking as kidnapping, locked rooms, and dramatic rescues. While physical force and captivity can happen, many trafficking situations look very different. The legal definition of sex trafficking allows for a wider understanding of coercion that goes beyond physical force, though it certainly includes that. In fact, the National Human Trafficking Hotline lists as a myth that sex trafficking is often or always violent, stating, “By far the most pervasive myth about human trafficking is that it always – or often – involves kidnapping or otherwise physically forcing someone into a situation. In reality, most human traffickers use psychological means such as tricking, defrauding, manipulating or threatening victims into providing commercial sex or exploitative labor.” National Human Trafficking Hotline. (2023). Myths & Facts | National Human Trafficking Hotline. Humantraffickinghotline.org. https://humantraffickinghotline.org/en/human-trafficking/myths-facts Copy
That means someone may not look “trapped” from the outside. They may go to work, answer texts, attend events, post online, or appear to participate. But behind the scenes, they may be controlled through threats, financial dependence, blackmail, isolation, fear, debt, addiction, reputational pressure, or career consequences.
When wealth, fame, career opportunity, or influence are involved, coercion may not look like a locked door. Sometimes, it looks like someone believing that saying “no” could cost them everything.
In both Jeffries and Combs’ cases, the allegations assert psychological manipulation or coercion of the victims; in Jeffries’ case, there was allegedly physical force applied to the victims. Elsesser, K. (2024, November 1). What Is—and Isn’t—Sex Trafficking? Insights From The Combs And Jeffries Allegations. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/kimelsesser/2024/11/01/what-is-and-isnt-sex-trafficking-insights-from-the-combs-and-jeffries-allegations/ Copy Former CEO of Abercrombie & Fitch and Two Other Individuals Charged with Sex Trafficking and Interstate Prostitution. (2024, October 22). Justice.gov. https://www.justice.gov/usao-edny/pr/former-ceo-abercrombie-fitch-and-two-other-individuals-charged-sex-trafficking-and Copy
- “Myth: Trafficking is not possible if there is consent”
Consent is one of the most misunderstood parts of trafficking.
A person may initially agree to a job, relationship, party, modeling opportunity, sexual encounter, or commercial sex situation. But initial consent does not erase later force, fraud, or coercion. The National Human Trafficking Hotline explains that initial consent is not relevant if force, fraud, or coercion is later used—or if the victim is a minor in a sex trafficking situation.
It is important to understand that trafficking happens in the context of a victim who is vulnerable due to financial, career, and/or safety factors. Allegations against Combs suggest victims felt they couldn’t refuse his demands without risking their careers or facing abuse. Similarly, Jeffries’s indictment alleges that aspiring models feared career harm if they did not comply with requests. In the case of minors, the issue of consent is even clearer: minors are not able to legally consent to commercial sex acts. H.R.1248 - 106th congress (1999-2000): Violence against women act of 2000 | congress.gov | library of Congress. (n.d.). https://www.congress.gov/bill/106th-congress/house-bill/1248 Copy
Where Sex Trafficking and Porn Overlap
At Fight the New Drug, this conversation about consent, coercion, and exploitation is familiar because it also comes up in conversations about pornography. You may have heard that the pornography industry’s abuses can be dismissed due to its supposed “consensual” nature. However, in industries like adult entertainment, power imbalances and coercive environments make it tough for performers to truly say “no.”
Take one performer’s story: she agreed to certain acts on set but ended up enduring brutal physical harm she didn’t anticipate or sign up for. Even though she initially “consented,” she couldn’t revoke that consent once the situation became unbearable—especially with the threat of not getting paid or hurting her reputation. Fight. (2023, June 17). Why Consent Can’t Always Be Guaranteed in Porn. Fight the New Drug. https://fightthenewdrug.org/why-consent-cant-always-be-guaranteed-in-porn/ Copy This is not the only example of the porn industry overlooking consent. There are countless stories of sexually explicit content uploaded to porn sites without the consent of the individuals shown. Mohan, M. (2020). ‘I was raped at 14, and the video ended up on a porn site’. BBC News. Retrieved from https://www.bbc.com/news/stories-51391981 Copy
Cases like this challenge the idea that pornography platforms are automatically safe, empowering, or free from exploitation. A video, livestream, or paid subscription may appear voluntary to the viewer, but the viewer usually has no way to know what happened before filming, who controls the account, who controls the money, whether threats were involved, or whether the person shown can safely stop.
This is the same issue at the center of so many trafficking myths: exploitation does not always announce itself. It can be hidden behind contracts, cameras, luxury homes, celebrity status, career promises, romantic relationships, or the illusion of consent.
This dynamic isn’t far off from the allegations against Sean Combs and Michael Jeffries. In both cases, victims felt trapped, unable to refuse demands because of fears tied to their safety, careers, or financial stability. It highlights a key issue: consent isn’t valid if it’s forced or if saying “no” feels impossible.
What can we do?
These cases highlight the need to dismantle the systems that allow sex trafficking to persist—whether in high-profile cases involving powerful figures or within industries like adult entertainment. Learn more about how porn and sex trafficking overlap here.
For those affected by sex trafficking or seeking to help, resources like the National Human Trafficking Hotline (1-888-373-7888 or text “HELP” to 233733) offer confidential support 24/7. Organizations like Polaris provide additional tools for education and advocacy against human trafficking.
Understanding the nuances of consent, coercion, and exploitation is crucial in identifying and supporting victims. Awareness and action are key to ending these cycles of exploitation. Let’s work together to create a world where no one is trapped by fear, coercion, or abuse.
Your Support Matters Now More Than Ever
Most kids today are exposed to porn by the age of 12. By the time they’re teenagers, 75% of boys and 70% of girls have already viewed itRobb, M.B., & Mann, S. (2023). Teens and pornography. San Francisco, CA: Common Sense.Copy —often before they’ve had a single healthy conversation about it.
Even more concerning: over half of boys and nearly 40% of girls believe porn is a realistic depiction of sexMartellozzo, E., Monaghan, A., Adler, J. R., Davidson, J., Leyva, R., & Horvath, M. A. H. (2016). “I wasn’t sure it was normal to watch it”: A quantitative and qualitative examination of the impact of online pornography on the values, attitudes, beliefs and behaviours of children and young people. Middlesex University, NSPCC, & Office of the Children’s Commissioner.Copy . And among teens who have seen porn, more than 79% of teens use it to learn how to have sexRobb, M.B., & Mann, S. (2023). Teens and pornography. San Francisco, CA: Common Sense.Copy . That means millions of young people are getting sex ed from violent, degrading content, which becomes their baseline understanding of intimacy. Out of the most popular porn, 33%-88% of videos contain physical aggression and nonconsensual violence-related themesFritz, N., Malic, V., Paul, B., & Zhou, Y. (2020). A descriptive analysis of the types, targets, and relative frequency of aggression in mainstream pornography. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 49(8), 3041-3053. doi:10.1007/s10508-020-01773-0Copy Bridges et al., 2010, “Aggression and Sexual Behavior in Best-Selling Pornography Videos: A Content Analysis,” Violence Against Women.Copy .
From increasing rates of loneliness, depression, and self-doubt, to distorted views of sex, reduced relationship satisfaction, and riskier sexual behavior among teens, porn is impacting individuals, relationships, and society worldwideFight the New Drug. (2024, May). Get the Facts (Series of web articles). Fight the New Drug.Copy .
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