Andrew Tate charged in Romania for trafficking of a minor and money laundering
Romanian prosecutors have charged Andrew Tate for trafficking of minors, sexual relations with a minor, and money laundering. His brother Tristan is being prosecuted for complicity.
New charges against Andrew Tate in Romania: trafficking of a minor and money laundering
Romanian prosecutors charged Andrew Tate, 39, on Friday with trafficking of minors, sexual relations with a minor and money laundering, according to Google News FR — Crime (fr). His brother Tristan Tate, 38, is also being charged with complicity in the same matter, according to the DIICOT, Romania's organised crime fighting agency.
The DIICOT alleges that the two brothers coerced a victim by simulating a romantic relationship with her, before forcing her to produce pornographic content for an online webcam business. The lawyer for the Tate brothers in Romania did not respond to a request for comment at the time of publication.
Victim recruited at age 15 in Luton
According to the agency, the Tate brothers allegedly recruited a 15-year-old girl in Luton, England, the city where they are from, in 2012. They allegedly then obtained more than 1.2 million dollars from her webcam activity, having transported her to Romania on several occasions.
The DIICOT specifies that Tristan Tate knew the victim's age and that between 2014 and 2021, he allegedly deliberately deceived her about his brother's "feelings and intentions", thereby facilitating her sexual exploitation. It is further alleged that between December 2020 and 2021, Andrew Tate "on multiple occasions had sexual relations and sexual acts" with another minor victim, also aged 15.
Four luxury cars worth €825,000 targeted by justice authorities
Between December 2023 and July 2024, the DIICOT accuses the two brothers of attempting to conceal the illicit origin of funds from human trafficking by purchasing four luxury vehicles with a total value of approximately €825,000. The agency stated it had requested the confiscation of these vehicles.
The indictment also mentions that victims were allegedly paid or intimidated to encourage them to "not testify or make false statements".
A complex legal case since 2022
This new indictment is part of a case opened in late 2022, when the Tate brothers were arrested for the first time in Bucharest. An official charge had followed in 2023, before a court referred the case to the DIICOT in 2024 due to multiple legal and procedural irregularities. The case had not been dismissed, and a separate proceeding had also been initiated against them the same year. Andrew Tate had also been charged with rape as part of this first proceeding.
The Romanian authorities have allowed the two brothers to remain free on conditions — notably the obligation to report regularly to a police station in Bucharest — during the course of the proceedings.
Detained in Miami, British extradition pending
The Tate brothers are currently incarcerated in Miami after British prosecutors requested their extradition in July for alleged sexual assault offences. Last week, they testified before an American federal court, arguing that detention in Miami would prevent them from properly defending themselves against the British charges. Their lawyers argued that the Romanian criminal proceedings should be treated as a priority, rendering the United Kingdom's extradition request moot at this stage.
Andrew and Tristan Tate, who hold dual American-British nationality, have repeatedly denied all charges brought against them. Andrew Tate has claimed that a political conspiracy is seeking to silence them.
Source: Google News FR — Crime (fr)