Romanian prosecutors have formally charged Andrew Tate, a notorious social media influencer, with multiple offenses including forming an organized crime group, human trafficking, and rape. His brother Tristan and two other associates have also been charged. Despite the allegations, all the defendants vehemently deny any wrongdoing.
The Tate brothers, along with two Romanian women, were apprehended by the Romanian police in December 2022. In March, the brothers were placed under house arrest pending the ongoing criminal investigation.
The Romanian Directorate for Investigating Organized Crime and Terrorism (DIICOT) has accused the four defendants of establishing an organized crime group involved in human trafficking activities across Romania, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The agency claims that seven alleged victims were lured by two of the defendants under false romantic pretenses. Subsequently, the victims were taken to various locations where they reportedly faced physical, mental, and sexual abuse.
According to the DIICOT, one of the defendants, identified by BBC News as Andrew Tate, allegedly subjected one of the victims to repeated acts of rape. A Romanian judge has been given 60 days to review the case, and the trial is expected to span several years. However, no specific start date for the proceedings has been announced.
Andrew Tate, a former boxer and martial artist, gained notoriety for promoting hate speech, misogyny, and violence on social media platforms. He was banned by both Facebook and Instagram in August 2022 for violating the policies of parent company Meta regarding dangerous individuals and organizations. Furthermore, he has been prohibited from posting videos on YouTube. Strikingly, he was temporarily suspended from Twitter in 2017 but was reinstated after Elon Musk assumed ownership of the company in the previous year.
The media team representing the Tate brothers released a statement on Tuesday regarding the charges: “While these developments were not surprising, they provide an opportunity to prove their innocence and restore their tarnished reputation.” The statement was reported by BBC News.
CBS News’ C Mandler contributed to this report.
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