Tue 20 June 2023:
Andrew Tate, an online celebrity, has been charged with rape, human trafficking, and forming an organized crime ring to sexually exploit women in Romania, BBC reported.
Tristan, his brother, and two associates are also charged. The charges have been denied by all individuals.
The Tate brothers were arrested for the first time in December at their Bucharest home.
Following a judgement by a Romanian judge in March, they were transferred from detention to house arrest.
The indictment deposited with the Bucharest court says that the four defendants formed an organised criminal group in 2021 to commit human trafficking in Romania, but also in other countries including the US and the UK.
It names seven alleged victims who it says were recruited by the Tate brothers through false promises of love and marriage.
The trial will not start immediately.
Under Romanian law, the case gets sent to the court’s preliminary chamber, where a judge has 60 days to inspect the case files to ensure legality.
The Tate brothers, former kickboxers who have US and British nationality with millions of online followers, are the highest profile suspects to be sent to trial in Romania for human trafficking.
A spokesperson for Andrew Tate, speaking on behalf of the brothers and the two associates, said: “We embrace the opportunity it presents to demonstrate their innocence.”
There are also separate charges still under investigation which could lead to a separate indictment, including money laundering and trafficking of minors.
SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES
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