The BBC actually had this story at the top of its on-line news page the day this programme aired which I guess amounts to self-promotion although I would probably say immediately that there's no honour in self-praise.
That said, this Panorama exposé is still quite a story, exposing as it does the alleged criminal conduct of the new recorded ex-CEO of the exclusive teen fashion brand Abercrombie and Fitch, Mike Jeffries and his I guess you'd call him silent partner, Matthew Smith.
It seems that at the height of his power and wealth, Jeffries, with Smith in tow behind him, via a shady, sleazy-sounding middle-man James Jacobson, had procured for their apparent delectation and delight some of the goodlooking young men who'd applied for modelling work at. A & F hoping for long-term employment.
Instead they found themselves expected to perform sexual acts on the "pimp" Jacobson which got them an audience in front of Jeffries and Smith. Here again, they were sexually exploited in the time-dishonoured casting-couch manner with Jeffrey and Smith named and shamed as active participants. Two young men in particular are filmed speaking up about their awful experiences. Both admit to some limited previous activity in either pornography or prostitution but it's clear they hadn't signed up for this.
Both in different ways seemed to still be carrying the mental scars after their abuse and they absolutely believe that Jeffrey, Smith and Jacobson should be held to account for what they suffered. There's also a third young man who is filmed incognito and apparently around half a dozen unfilmed others like them all telling the same story.
Naturally the BBC sought responses from the three accused with only the low-level procurer Jacobson replying, flat-out rejecting the claims made against him, with Jeffrey and Smith refusing to respond in any way.
The point is forcibly made by the programmr that while the "#MeToo" movement and the despicable acts of the likes of Epstein, Weinberg et. Al has shone a long-overdue spotlight on the sexual exploitation of young women by rich and powerful old men, similar claims like the ones made here, only this time by young men, have been largely overlooked.
Although one would ideally like to see the accused stand up and answer for themselves, it seems they prefer to lie low and ignore their right to reply. There will be some who find this "trial-by-media" unfair but I found it impossible not to feel sympathy for these poor young men who with their eyes on the stars ended up in the gutter, put there by the depraved sexual tastes of the rich and powerful who did what they did and do what they do purely because they could and no doubt still can.
Let's hope the two and others who were similarly taken advantage of get the chance to face down these alleged perpetrators in a court of law and achieve some sort of redemption in so doing.
I know who's side I'm on.
That said, this Panorama exposé is still quite a story, exposing as it does the alleged criminal conduct of the new recorded ex-CEO of the exclusive teen fashion brand Abercrombie and Fitch, Mike Jeffries and his I guess you'd call him silent partner, Matthew Smith.
It seems that at the height of his power and wealth, Jeffries, with Smith in tow behind him, via a shady, sleazy-sounding middle-man James Jacobson, had procured for their apparent delectation and delight some of the goodlooking young men who'd applied for modelling work at. A & F hoping for long-term employment.
Instead they found themselves expected to perform sexual acts on the "pimp" Jacobson which got them an audience in front of Jeffries and Smith. Here again, they were sexually exploited in the time-dishonoured casting-couch manner with Jeffrey and Smith named and shamed as active participants. Two young men in particular are filmed speaking up about their awful experiences. Both admit to some limited previous activity in either pornography or prostitution but it's clear they hadn't signed up for this.
Both in different ways seemed to still be carrying the mental scars after their abuse and they absolutely believe that Jeffrey, Smith and Jacobson should be held to account for what they suffered. There's also a third young man who is filmed incognito and apparently around half a dozen unfilmed others like them all telling the same story.
Naturally the BBC sought responses from the three accused with only the low-level procurer Jacobson replying, flat-out rejecting the claims made against him, with Jeffrey and Smith refusing to respond in any way.
The point is forcibly made by the programmr that while the "#MeToo" movement and the despicable acts of the likes of Epstein, Weinberg et. Al has shone a long-overdue spotlight on the sexual exploitation of young women by rich and powerful old men, similar claims like the ones made here, only this time by young men, have been largely overlooked.
Although one would ideally like to see the accused stand up and answer for themselves, it seems they prefer to lie low and ignore their right to reply. There will be some who find this "trial-by-media" unfair but I found it impossible not to feel sympathy for these poor young men who with their eyes on the stars ended up in the gutter, put there by the depraved sexual tastes of the rich and powerful who did what they did and do what they do purely because they could and no doubt still can.
Let's hope the two and others who were similarly taken advantage of get the chance to face down these alleged perpetrators in a court of law and achieve some sort of redemption in so doing.
I know who's side I'm on.
