Subway denies getting warned about Jared Fogle

Subway is denying getting tipped about Jared Fogle's sexual interest in children years ago.

The chain's refutation comes after a former Subway franchisee, Cindy Mills, told Business Insider that she had warned company executives about Fogle in 2008.

Mills said Fogle - who was Subway's pitchman for 15 years - admitted to her that he'd had sex with minors and told her about trysts with child prostitutes between the ages of 9 and 16 years old in Thailand and the US.

She identified Jeff Moody, the former CEO of the Subway Franchisee Advertising Fund Trust, as one of the executives she spoke to about Fogle's admissions.

Subway responded Saturday evening by distancing itself from Moody.

"Jeff Moody did not work for Subway's corporate offices and was never a member of the Subway management team," the company said in an e-mailed statement. "If he, or any of his staff, ever received complaints about Jared Fogle, he did not escalate them to Subway's management team."

The Subway Franchisee Advertising Fund Trust, or SFAFT, was legally a separate entity from Subway in 2008, when Mills says she spoke to Moody. Mills also says she reported her concerns to a regional Subway manager and also informed two additional SFAFT employees.

"As previously stated, we have no record of Cindy Mill's complaint to Jeff Moody," Subway said. "We are continuing our investigation into this matter."

Moody, who is now CEO of Rita's Italian Ice, also denies speaking to Mills.

"I am aware of published reports suggesting that in 2008, while I was working for the Subway Franchisee Advertising Fund Trust, I was informed that Jared Fogle was engaging in criminal sexual behavior with minors," Moody said in an emailed statement. "I was shocked this summer to learn of the deplorable criminal sexual behavior with minors that Jared Fogle has been accused of and to which he has reportedly admitted. I was not aware of Jared Fogle's criminal sexual conduct with minors and, like any decent human being, am repulsed by his reprehensible criminal conduct."

Mills was a Subway franchisee from 2006 to 2012 in Pensacola, Florida.

Fogle was charged last week with possessing and distributing child pornography and traveling across state lines to have sex with minors.

He plans to plead guilty to the crimes and pay $1.4 million in restitution to 14 victims.

A former journalist also claims to have warned Subway about Fogle.

Rochelle Herman, who worked with the FBI for nearly a decade in its investigation into Fogle, told Gawker that she notified Subway of Fogle's interest in children in 2009 through a comment form on Subway's corporate website.

"I told them how Jared had approached my children - that I met him during my radio show program - and that he had approached my children and had made sexual comments about wanting to do things with my children and their friends," Herman told Gawker. "I never got a 'Thank you for emailing' or anything like that, but I sent it and it did go through."

Subway said it's still investigating Herman's claims.

"Our investigation into Ms. Herman's claims is on-going," the company said. "As soon as it is concluded we will communicate our findings."