Tate brothers face further trafficking and sex charges in Romania

Romanian prosecutors have filed a new indictment against Andrew and Tristan Tate, adding further trafficking and sex-crime allegations to a case that has been under investigation since December 2022.

Several of the new charges focus on a vulnerable woman whom investigators allege Tristan Tate recruited when she was 15. Prosecutors say she was sheltered in a building in Luton, Bedfordshire, for sexual exploitation by Andrew Tate. DIICOT investigators allege that he controlled her through surveillance and physical aggression, then coerced her into performing sex acts on video chats for his financial gain. They also accuse him of moving her to Romania, where they say the exploitation continued in two of his homes.

Andrew Tate separately faces a charge of having sex with a 15-year-old in Romania. Prosecutors have also requested the confiscation of four luxury cars valued at £710,000, saying they believe money was laundered through their purchase.

It remains unclear whether DIICOT will seek the brothers' extradition from the United States. The indictment must first undergo judicial examination before a trial can open. The brothers, former kickboxers with dual US and British citizenship, have been mainly based in Romania since 2017, where they built a large social media following, including many young men, through misogynistic messages and images of luxury.

Their lawyer, Eugen Constantin Vidineac, said the filing did not establish guilt. “Today's decision by DIICOT does not determine guilt and it should not be presented as though it does.” He said the previous indictment had failed to proceed to trial after a court found significant irregularities, and pledged to challenge any evidential, procedural or legal deficiencies. The brothers continue to deny the allegations and claim their online personas do not reflect their real personalities.

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Today's decision by DIICOT does not determine guilt and it should not be presented as though it does.