The former chief executive of Abercrombie & Fitch is suffering from dementia and is not competent to stand trial on sex trafficking charges, prosecutors and his lawyers have said.

Defence lawyers say the former CEO of Abercrombie & Fitch may have dementia, and a competency hearing is necessary to determine if he can face sex charges.

If convicted of the sex trafficking charge, the defendants face a maximum sentence of life imprisonment and a mandatory minimum of 15 years

A former model for Abercrombie & Fitch has sued the fashion chain, alleging it allowed former chief executive Mike Jeffries to run a sex-trafficking organisation during his 22-year tenure.