Tate Brothers Denied Bail in Miami as UK Sex Crime Extradition Fight Continues
A Miami federal judge has ruled Andrew and Tristan Tate must remain in custody while fighting extradition to the UK on dozens of sex crime charges.
Miami Judge Keeps Tate Brothers Jailed During UK Extradition Battle
A federal judge in Miami has denied bail for Andrew and Tristan Tate, who must now remain behind bars in Florida while contesting extradition to the United Kingdom on dozens of sex crime charges, NBC News reports.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Lauren Louis ruled on Wednesday that the brothers failed to demonstrate they were not a flight risk or a danger to the community, and that no special circumstances warranted their release.
"Respondents have failed to demonstrate that special circumstances here warrant relief," Louis wrote in her ruling.
Defence: process is unfair
Defence attorney Joe McBride said his clients were being held to standards unfamiliar to Americans, arguing the extradition process itself constituted punishment.
"Detention first. Evidence later, maybe," McBride said in a statement. "Andrew and Tristan lose their liberty first and challenge the evidence later. This is the cold machinery of extradition: rules and deadlines move forward with deliberate indifference to the human lives caught inside them."
McBride added that the court had not yet heard the merits of the extradition case, as the United Kingdom had not filed its formal request and supporting materials. "They have not been convicted of a crime. They have not been ordered extradited," he said.
UK charges and accusations
Andrew Tate, 39, and his brother Tristan Tate, 38, are dual UK-US nationals who were taken into custody in Miami in July after UK prosecutors filed new charges against them. UK authorities allege the crimes occurred between 2010 and 2017.
UK prosecutors previously charged the pair with 21 counts of rape, assault occasioning actual bodily harm, and arranging or facilitating travel for sexual exploitation. Andrew Tate also faces a charge of controlling prostitution.
The most recent additional charges against Andrew Tate include seven counts of rape, 15 counts of making or distributing indecent images of children, and four counts of possession of extreme pornography. Tristan Tate faces six further counts of rape, sexual assault, and sexual exploitation.
In arguing against bail, UK prosecutors alleged in a court filing earlier this month that statements made by the brothers themselves suggested an intent to evade justice. The filing further alleged that the brothers repeatedly sought the names of their accusers from prosecutors in exchange for a "security" fee worth tens of thousands of pounds, along with a promise not to publicly identify those accusers. The Crown Prosecution Service declined the offer in order to safeguard the complainants, according to the filing.
Romanian proceedings run in parallel
The brothers also face criminal proceedings in Romania, where they reportedly relocated in 2016. There, they were indicted on allegations of forming an organised criminal group, human trafficking, trafficking of minors, and money laundering. Both brothers have denied those charges.
Andrew Tate's background
A former professional kickboxer, Andrew Tate built a significant online following in recent years by espousing misogynistic and hypermasculine views. In a past interview, he stated that there was "no way you can be rooted in reality and not be sexist."
McBride said the brothers look forward to their day in court and that the defence "profoundly disagrees" with Judge Louis' decision to keep them in federal custody pending the outcome of the extradition proceedings.
Source: Google News MT