Tate brothers formally indicted in Romania for trafficking and sex crimes against minor
Romanian prosecutors have officially indicted Andrew and Tristan Tate on trafficking, money laundering and sex offences involving a 15-year-old girl.
Romanian prosecutors formally indict Andrew and Tristan Tate on trafficking and sex charges
Romanian prosecutors have officially indicted Andrew and Tristan Tate on a series of human trafficking and sexual offences, Google News UK — Crime (en) reports, citing documents from Romania's Directorate for Investigating Crime and Terrorism (DIICOT).
The brothers are alleged to have earned more than $1.2m (£888,000) by coercing a girl into performing sex acts on video chats. Andrew, 39, faces charges of trafficking minors, money laundering and having sex with a minor. Tristan, 38, is charged with complicity in trafficking minors and money laundering.
The case centres on a vulnerable female who was 15 at the time of the alleged offences, according to information released by prosecutors on Friday. Andrew is alleged to have recruited her and housed her in a building in Luton, Bedfordshire, where he sexually exploited her. DIICOT investigators allege he controlled her through surveillance and physical aggression, and coerced her to perform sex acts on video chats for financial gain. He is also accused of moving her to Romania to continue exploiting her at two of his properties there.
Tristan is alleged to have acted as an accessory, using physical aggression to coerce the victim, prosecutors say.
Andrew faces a separate charge of having sex with a minor aged 15 in Romania.
Prosecutors have additionally requested the confiscation of four luxury cars belonging to the brothers, valued at £710,000, which they believe were purchased using laundered funds.
The Tates — former kickboxers holding dual US and British citizenship — have been under criminal investigation in Romania since December 2022. They have been based primarily in Romania since 2017, building a large social media following, largely amongst young men, through misogynistic content and images depicting a luxury lifestyle. They are currently held in a Miami jail, fighting extradition to the United Kingdom on separate charges, and deny all the allegations against them.
It is not yet clear whether DIICOT will seek their extradition from the United States. The indictment must first be examined by a judge before any trial can proceed.
This is not the brothers' first indictment in Romania. A previous indictment on trafficking charges was returned to prosecutors in 2024 after an appeals court in Bucharest ruled that some evidence was inadmissible.
Their Romanian lawyer, Eugen Constantin Vidineac, said the latest DIICOT decision did not determine guilt and should not be presented as though it did. "It represents the prosecution's latest attempt to bring this case before a court following the failure of its previous indictment to proceed to trial," Vidineac said.
He added that the previous indictment had been subjected to judicial scrutiny and that the court had identified significant irregularities which prevented the case from advancing. "DIICOT has now chosen to file a new indictment. We will examine every aspect of it with the same level of scrutiny and we will challenge any evidential, procedural or legal deficiencies through the appropriate judicial process," he said.
"Our clients continue to reject the allegations against them. They have the right to the presumption of innocence, the right to properly examine the evidence relied upon against them and the right to mount an effective defence."
The Tates have consistently denied all allegations and have stated their online personas do not reflect their true personalities.
Source: Google News UK — Crime (en)