London, UK - The former boss of fashion giant Abercrombie & Fitch and his British partner have been arrested and face sex trafficking charges.

A spokesman for federal prosecutors in the US said ex-chief executive Mike Jeffries, his partner Matthew Smith, and a third man, Jim Jacobson, were arrested on Tuesday morning.

The trio are alleged to have sexually abused young men at parties in the US and other countries.

Lawyers for both Mr. Jeffries and Mr. Smith have previously "vehemently denied" any wrongdoing.

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Brad Edwards, a lawyer at law firm Edwards Henderson, who represents some alleged victims in the case, and previously filed a civil case against Mr. Jeffries and Mr. Smith, said: "Our firm represents all of the victims in the class action case we filed on their behalf.

"This arrest is a huge step on the path to justice for the many young men who were exploited and abused by Jeffries and Smith, who used Abercrombie to pull off one of the most organized sex trafficking operations in United States history."

The three defendants are reportedly due to appear in a federal court in Florida and Wisconsin on Tuesday before the case is transferred to the eastern district of New York.