Andrew Tate indicted in Romania on trafficking minors charges

Romanian prosecutors have indicted social media influencer Andrew Tate on charges of trafficking minors, sex with a minor and money laundering, adding to the legal cases facing him and his brother as they fight extradition from the United States to the United Kingdom.

Romania’s anti-organized crime agency, DIICOT, announced the indictment Friday. Tristan Tate, Andrew Tate’s brother, was indicted for complicity in the case, prosecutors said. The brothers, dual U.S.-British citizens and former kickboxers, have repeatedly denied wrongdoing.

DIICOT said the brothers coerced a victim by pretending to be in a loving relationship and then forcing her to produce pornographic material for an online webcam business. Prosecutors allege that in 2012 the brothers recruited a 15-year-old girl in Luton, England, where they are from, and that she was repeatedly transported to Romania. The agency said the brothers obtained more than $1.2 million from her webcam activity; Al Jazeera reported prosecutors put the figure at $1.25 million, about 80% of her earnings.

Prosecutors said Andrew Tate seduced the victim in Britain before moving her to Bucharest and using physical violence and psychological intimidation to force her into producing indecent images of children for social media, according to Al Jazeera. DIICOT said Tristan Tate knew the victim’s age, knew she had been recruited by Andrew, and between 2014 and 2021 deceived her about his brother’s “feelings and intentions,” helping facilitate her sexual exploitation. Al Jazeera reported that prosecutors also accused Tristan Tate of using physical aggression to coerce the victim.

DIICOT further alleged that between December 2020 and mid-2021, Andrew Tate “repeatedly had sexual intercourse and sexual acts with another minor victim,” also 15.

The agency said the brothers tried between December 2023 and July 2024 to “hide or disguise the illicit origin of the money” obtained from human trafficking by purchasing four luxury cars worth about 825,000 euros, or $957,000. Prosecutors said they have requested that the vehicles be confiscated.

DIICOT also alleged that victims were paid or intimidated in attempts to influence them “not to give statements or to give false statements.”

Eugen Vidineac, a Romanian lawyer for the Tates, said in a statement reported by Al Jazeera that the brothers rejected the allegations. “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,” he said. “Our clients continue to reject the allegations against them.” CBS News reported that a lawyer for the brothers in Romania did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The new indictment stems from an investigation that led to the brothers’ arrest in Bucharest in late 2022 and their formal indictment in 2023. That earlier Romanian case accused them of participating in a criminal ring that lured women to Romania, where they were sexually exploited; Andrew Tate was also charged with rape. In late 2024, a Romanian court returned the case to prosecutors after finding legal and procedural problems, including inadmissible evidence, according to the reports. The case was not closed.

The Tates are currently being held in Miami after prosecutors in the United Kingdom requested their extradition in July on sex crimes allegations. CBS News reported that the brothers testified in federal court last week that they cannot adequately defend themselves from criminal sex charges while in a Miami jail fighting extradition. Their lawyers have argued that the U.K. extradition request is improper because the Romanian criminal case should proceed first.

Al Jazeera reported that it was not immediately clear whether DIICOT would seek the brothers’ extradition. Romanian law permits prosecution in absentia, and the case is headed to a preliminary court chamber for judicial review.