According to DIICOT, the indictment alleges that the brothers recruited their victims by falsely presenting themselves as seeking a romantic relationship or marriage. Once the victims were secured, the prosecutors state that the brothers forced them to produce sexually exploitative content for an online webcam business.
The central allegation in the indictment concerns a victim who was 15 years old when she was recruited in Luton, England, in 2012. Luton is the hometown of both brothers. DIICOT alleges that Andrew Tate seduced the minor and subsequently moved her to Bucharest, where he used physical violence and psychological intimidation to compel her to produce indecent images for social media. The agency further alleges that Tristan Tate, who has been indicted as an accomplice, was aware of the victim’s age and her recruitment by his brother. Between 2014 and 2021, it is alleged that Tristan knowingly deceived the victim regarding his brother’s feelings and intentions, thereby facilitating her sexual exploitation. During this period, Tristan is also accused of using physical aggression to coerce the victim.
DIICOT states that the brothers retained approximately $1.25 million from the video chat income generated by this specific victim, representing roughly 80 percent of her earnings. To conceal the illicit origin of these funds, the prosecutors allege that the Tates purchased four luxury cars worth approximately 825,000 euros ($957,000) between December 2023 and July 2024. The agency has requested the confiscation of these vehicles.
The indictment also includes charges related to another minor victim. It is alleged that between December 2020 and mid-2021, Andrew Tate repeatedly engaged in sexual intercourse and other sexual acts with a 15-year-old girl. Additionally, DIICOT alleges that the brothers attempted to influence victims by paying them or intimidating them to either refrain from providing statements or to provide false ones to authorities.
The legal path to this indictment was marked by procedural irregularities. The Tates were first arrested in Bucharest in late 2022 on charges of participating in a criminal ring that lured women to Romania for sexual exploitation. They were formally indicted in 2023. However, in 2024, a Romanian court returned the case to DIICOT, citing multiple legal and procedural errors on the part of the prosecutors. Despite this setback, the investigation was not closed, and a separate legal case against the brothers was also active in Romania during that period. The current indictment stems from the continued investigation following that judicial review.
Both Andrew and Tristan Tate have consistently denied all wrongdoing. Andrew Tate has additionally claimed that a political conspiracy is being used to silence them. A lawyer representing the brothers in Romania did not immediately respond to requests for comment regarding the new indictment.
The legal status of the brothers is currently complicated by international extradition proceedings. In July, prosecutors in the United Kingdom requested their extradition from the United States on separate rape charges. The Tates, who hold dual U.S.-British citizenship, were jailed in the United States in July following this request. They are currently being held in a prison in Miami while fighting the extradition.
In federal court last week, the brothers took the stand to argue that they cannot adequately defend themselves against the criminal sex charges if they remain in U.S. custody while fighting extradition to the U.K. Their legal team has argued that the U.K.’s extradition request is procedurally misaligned because their criminal case in Romania is proceeding first. It remains unclear whether Romanian authorities will also request extradition from the U.K. or the U.S. if the extradition to the U.K. is denied, or how the concurrent proceedings in Romania and the U.K. will interact.
The next formal steps will depend on the U.S. federal court’s decision regarding the U.K. extradition request and the Romanian court’s acceptance of the new indictment, which will determine the scheduling of future hearings in Bucharest.
