Romanian prosecutors have charged social media influencer Andrew Tate with trafficking minors, sex with a minor and money laundering, in a case arising from a long-running investigation involving him and his brother, Tristan Tate.
39-year-old Andrew Tate and his 38-year-old brother, both dual US-British citizens, were first arrested in Bucharest, Romania, in late 2022 over allegations of human trafficking and organised criminal activity.
Romania’s anti-organised crime agency, DIICOT, announced the latest indictment on Friday, stating that Tristan Tate had also been charged with complicity in the alleged offences.
According to DIICOT, the brothers allegedly manipulated a female victim by creating the impression that she was in a romantic relationship with them before coercing her into producing pornographic material for an online webcam business.
Prosecutors alleged that the victim was subjected to a pattern of control and exploitation, with the brothers allegedly benefiting financially from the material generated through the webcam operation.
DIICOT further alleged that the brothers recruited a 15-year-old girl in 2012 in Luton, England, the town where they are from, before repeatedly transporting her to Romania.
Prosecutors claimed that the girl was subsequently exploited through the webcam business and that the Tate brothers generated more than $1.2 million from her online activities.
The allegations form part of a broader investigation into the brothers’ activities and their alleged involvement in the exploitation of women and minors.
A lawyer representing the Tate brothers in Romania did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the latest indictment.
The latest charges are connected to an investigation that led to the brothers’ arrest in 2022 and their formal indictment in 2023. The case later suffered legal and procedural setbacks after a Romanian court returned it to DIICOT in 2024.
The court cited multiple legal and procedural irregularities in the prosecutors’ handling of the case. However, the ruling did not bring the investigation to an end, allowing prosecutors to continue pursuing the allegations.
The Tate brothers have also been involved in a separate legal case in Romania, further extending the legal challenges they have faced since their arrest.