Abercrombie & Fitch says it has launched its own investigation into whether the company’s former CEO, Mike Jeffries, exploited men for sex.

In response to the allegations against Mr. Jeffries, whose employment with Abercrombie & Fitch Co. ended in 2014, nearly ten years ago, we are appalled and disgusted. It is not easy to speak up and come forward, and our thoughts are with those who bravely did so,” said the retailer.

We have engaged an outside law firm to conduct an independent investigation into the issues raised since being contacted. The current executive leadership team and board of directors were unaware of Mr. Jeffries’ allegations of sexual misconduct, the statement said. “Over the past decade, we have successfully transformed our brands and culture into a values-driven organization under the leadership of a new executive leadership team. Discrimination, harassment, or abuse of any kind is not tolerated by us.”

According to eight men, Jeffries and his partner hosted events in various countries in which some of them were exploited for sex. Several of the parties are alleged to have occurred while Jeffries was CEO of Abercrombie & Fitch.

It was alleged that the men were recruited by a middleman who used a network of recruiters and paid $500 to $1,000 per referral.

A two-year investigation gathered information from 12 men who attended or organized events over a six-year period from 2009 to 2015 during which Jeffries and his partner Matthew Smith engaged in sexual activities.

By the time of Jeffries’ departure, the company had experienced multiple consecutive quarters of sales declines, and Jeffries had become a lightning rod for controversy