Romanian prosecutors have officially indicted social media influencer Andrew Tate and his brother Tristan for trafficking minors, money laundering, sex with a minor, and witness tampering. The indictment is based on an investigation that began in 2022, which alleges the Tates recruited victims by pretending to want a relationship or marriage before forcing them to produce pornographic content. Prosecutors claim one of Andrew Tate's victims was a 15-year-old girl he seduced in Britain in 2012, and that the brothers kept $1.25 million from her videochat income. The Tates deny all wrongdoing and are currently in jail in the US while awaiting extradition to the UK on rape charges.
Written by the local model on 2026-09-04,
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Story summary
Andrew Tate, a social media influencer with dual British and US citizenship, has been indicted by Romanian prosecutors on charges of trafficking minors, money laundering, sex with a minor, and witness tampering. His brother, Tristan Tate, was also indicted for complicity in the case. The indictment alleges that the Tates recruited their victims by seducing them and falsely claiming to want a relationship or marriage, before forcing them to produce pornographic content for a webcam business. According to prosecutors, one of the victims was a 15-year-old girl from Britain who was coerced into producing online content in Romania.
The case against the Tates has been ongoing since December 2022, and they have denied all wrongdoing. The brothers were arrested in Miami in July after Britain requested their extradition on rape charges. They remain in jail while a judge decides on the request for their extradition to Britain.
The indictment is based on an investigation by Romania's Directorate for Investigating Organized Crime and Terrorism (DIICOT), which found that the Tates earned over $1.25 million from selling online content featuring their victims. The case has sparked widespread outrage, with many critics calling for greater action against online exploitation.
The Tates' lawyer, Eugen Vidineac, said in a statement that they will "examine every aspect of the indictment" and challenge any "evidential, procedural or legal deficiencies through the appropriate judicial process."
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Romanian prosecutors indict influencer Andrew Tate for trafficking minors, money laundering
His brother Tristan was also indicted for complicity, in criminal investigation that began in 2022
Romanian prosecutors officially indicted social media influencer Andrew Tate on Friday for trafficking minors, money laundering, sex with a minor and witness tampering and his brother Tristan for complicity, years after they began investigating them.
The Tate brothers, former kickboxers with dual U.S. and British citizenship, were arrested in Miami in late July after Britain requested their extradition.
Mainly based in Romania since 2017, they have been under criminal investigation in the country since December 2022 on charges including human trafficking.
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they → indict → trafficking
They have denied all wrongdoing.
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They → deny → wrongdoing
Romanian prosecutors said the Tates recruited their victims by seducing them and falsely claiming to want a relationship or marriage, before forcing them to produce pornographic content for a webcam business.
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Tates → say → business
"We will examine every aspect of [the indictment] with the same level of scrutiny and we will challenge any evidential, procedural or legal deficiencies through the appropriate judicial process," a Romanian lawyer for the Tates, Eugen Vidineac, said in a statement.
"
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lawyer → examine → statement
Our clients continue to reject the allegations against them."
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clients → continue → them
The Tate brothers remain in jail in the U.S. while a judge decides on the request for their extradition to Britain, where they are wanted on rape charges.
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they → remain → charges
The spokesperson for the Romanian anti-organized crime prosecuting unit DIICOT — which is investigating the Tates — said it was not immediately clear whether the unit will seek their extradition from the United States.
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unit → prosecute → States
The Tates can be tried in absentia in Romania, but the trial will not start immediately.
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trial → try → Romania
Under Romanian law, the indictment gets sent to a preliminary court chamber, where a judge will inspect the case files to ensure legality.
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judge → send → legality
While the law states that the preliminary chamber judge has 60 days to finalize the report, indictments routinely take significantly longer.
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indictments → state → report
Tate brothers to fight extradition to U.K., where both face charges of rape
- FRONT BURNER
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both → fight → BURNER
How Andrew Tate made abuse a business
DIICOT said one of Andrew Tate's victims was 15 when he seduced her in Britain in 2012, before moving her to the Romanian capital, Bucharest, and using physical violence and mental intimidation to sexually exploit her by forcing her to produce pornographic content for social media sites.
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he → make → sites
Tristan was an accessory, the unit said, using physical aggression to coerce the victim.
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unit → say → victim
Prosecutors said the brothers kept $1.25 million US from the videochat income generated by the victim, roughly 80 per cent of all her gains.
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brothers → say → gains
The brothers tried to launder the funds by buying four luxury cars, they added.
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they → try → cars
The brothers were previously indicted in Romania on charges of human trafficking.
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brothers → indict → trafficking
But in late 2024, the Bucharest court of appeals sent the case back to prosecutors after deeming some evidence inadmissible.
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evidence → send → prosecutors
Andrew Tate, a self-described misogynist, previously said he moved to Romania because law enforcement was more lax there.
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enforcement → describe → Romania
Both brothers have grown their following of mainly young men by building a lavish, hyper-macho image of driving fast cars and dating beautiful women.
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brothers → grow → women
