Andrew Tate indicted in Romania for trafficking minors, money laundering
New York Post · RC · trust 35/100
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Add The New York Post on Google Misogynistic influencer Andrew Tate has been indicted for having sex with a minor, trafficking and money laundering – and allegedly recruited a 15-year-old girl for sexual exploitation, Romanian prosecutors announced Friday.
Tate, 39, was issued with the fresh charges while he and his brother Tristan Tate, 38, remain detained at the Federal Detention Center in Miami, Fla., as they fight extradition back to the UK for alleged offenses that took place between 2010 and 2017.
Tristan Tate has been charged with complicity as part of the investigation spearheaded by Romania’s Directorate for Investigating Organized Crime and Terrorism.
Andrew Tate allegedly recruited a girl, who was 15, and sexually exploited her in the UK and Romania between 2012 and December 2021, according to prosecutors .
He allowed the girl to fall in love but used coercion, emotional blackmail, as well as physical aggression to ensure compliance, it is alleged.
Tate allegedly forced the girl to produce sexually explicit material and practice so-called video chat activities for his pleasure, prosecutors alleged.
While the alleged sexual exploitation occurred, Tristan Tate allegedly supported his brother rather than reporting the crime.
Tristan Tate managed the girl’s video chat accounts and monitored her activity, prosecutors said.
He also “resorted to acts of physical aggression [against the girl],” prosecutors said.
The pair raked in more than $1.25 million from their alleged criminal activity.
Andrew Tate also allegedly had sex with another 15-year-old child at two Romanian properties between December 2020 and mid-2021.
The brothers used money from sexual exploitation to splash out on four cars between December 2023 and July 2024, which had a combined value of $1.25 million. Investigators want to confiscate the cars.
The Tate brothers had been living in Romania since 2016, where they are facing an investigation over allegations of human trafficking, rape, forming an organized criminal group, and money laundering.
The brothers “continue to reject the allegations against them,” according to their attorney Eugen Constantin Vidineac.
“Today’s decision by DIICOT does not determine guilt and it should not be presented as though it does. 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,” he said.
“The history of these proceedings matters. The previous indictment was subjected to judicial scrutiny and the court identified significant irregularities which prevented the case from moving forward to trial.
“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.”
Prosecutors announced the charges just three days after Vidineac warned to expect a new indictment, Forbes reported.
He has called for the brothers to be released on bail amid fears that being incarcerated would result in them being found guilty in Romania.
“I cannot guarantee the result of any proceeding or state that detention would inevitably cause the Tate brothers to lose in Romania,” he wrote in a Florida court filing. “But based on my direct experience representing them, if detention continues to deprive them of sustained, confidential, evidence-capable access to me during these critical stages, their ability to prepare and participate meaningfully—and, consequently, the defense’s prospects of obtaining favorable rulings—would be reduced to close to nil.”
The Tates echoed their lawyer’s fears as they testified in a Miami courtroom last Thursday while shackled — a month after being arrested by US Marshals .
Andrew Tate fears he will be slapped with an unfair life sentence in Eastern Europe while jailed on American soil.
And Tristan Tate claimed he’s unable to prove his innocence while incarcerated.
“I need to clear my name,” he said. “I need to take part in these proceedings, I can’t do that from the secure housing unit.”
The Tate brothers face a combined 59 charges in the UK.
Andrew Tate faces 42 charges for offenses involving seven victims.
His charges include rape, controlling prostitution and arranging or facilitating trafficking for sexual exploitation.
In July, Andrew Tate was slapped with 19 extra charges for offences relating to indecent images of a child and extreme pornography.
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