Andrew Tatehas been indicted on charges of rape, human trafficking and forming a criminal group to sexually exploit women, authorities in Romania said Tuesday.
The former professional kickboxer anddisgraced influencer— who holds dual U.S. and British citizenship — was charged alongside his brother Tristan Tate and two female Romanian citizens.
It follows the arrest of the brothers in December, since which they have been in jail orunder house arrest.
Romania’s anti-terrorism organization, the Directorate for Investigating Organized Crime and Terrorism (DIICOT), alleged in astatementTuesday that Tate and his co-defendants created a criminal group in 2021 “in order to commit the crime of human trafficking on the territory of Romania, but also in other countries, such as the United States of America and Great Britain.”
The release added that the crime group misled seven victims with “the intention to establish a marriage/cohabitation relationship and the existence of real feelings of love.”
Andrew Tate.Robert Ghement/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock
Robert Ghement/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock
DIICOT claims that instead the victims were transported to buildings in Ilfov County, the area that surrounds Bucharest, where they were forced through physical violence and mental coercion into performing pornographic acts which were then disseminated through social media, according to the release.
The indictment also requested the confiscation of many of Tate’s assets including 15 luxury cars, 14 luxury watches, and approximately $300 million in cryptocurrency, according to the statement.
ROBERT GHEMENT/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock
Tate and his brother’s attorneys deny all the allegations.
“While this news is undoubtedly predictable, we embrace the opportunity it presents to demonstrate their innocence and vindicate their reputation,” Tate’s legal team said in a statement shared with PEOPLE.
“Our primary focus will be to establish the truth and ensure a fair and impartial examination of the evidence the legal team will submit,” the statement continued.
Andrew Tate and Tristan Tate.DANIEL MIHAILESCU/AFP/Getty
“The indictment now allows us to present a comprehensive body of evidence, diligently collected and prepared over time, which will undoubtedly substantiate the brothers’ claims of innocence.”
DIICOT did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for additional comment.
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The Tate brothershave been under investigation since April 2022, according to the Romanian daily newspaperGândul.
The publication said the investigation began after a complaint was received that “a woman with American citizenship was being forcibly held at their residence.”
Several young women were found in a building located about 500 yards from the Bucharest villa, according to the paper. The American woman told investigators she met Tristan through a social media network, and that he convinced her to buy a plane ticket to Romania. The woman later contacted her ex-boyfriend, who reported the woman’s claims to the U.S. Embassy in Bucharest.
source: people.com
