In brief
Romanian prosecutors allege that social media influencers Andrew and Tristan Tate orchestrated a $1.2 m scheme to exploit a young woman via video chats and physical coercion. Under indictment, Andrew faces charges of trafficking minors, money laundering and having sex with a minor, while Tristan is charged with complicity and money laundering. Both are currently jailed in Miami while fighting extradition to the UK, and the case remains pending judicial scrutiny. The Tates deny all allegations, asserting their online personas do not reflect their true selves.
Romanian prosecutors have charged social media influencers Andrew and Tristan Tate with further sex crimes.
They are accused of making more than $1.2m (£888,000) by coercing a girl to perform sex acts on video chats, according to the Romanian Directorate for Investigating Crime and Terrorism (DIICOT).
Andrew, 39, faces charges of trafficking minors, money laundering and sex with a minor. Tristan, 38, is charged with complicity in trafficking minors and money laundering.
The brothers, who are currently jailed in Miami and contest extradition to the UK over separate charges, deny all allegations.
Both have been under criminal investigation in Romania since December 2022, mainly based there since 2017, building a large social‑media audience with misogynistic content and luxury‑lifestyle imagery.
The new charges centre on a vulnerable woman allegedly recruited by Tristan when she was 15. Investigators say Andrew controlled her through surveillance, physical aggression and coerced her into sex acts on video chats for financial gain.
Andrew is charged with moving her to Romania to continue exploitation in two of his homes. He is also accused of having sex with a minor, who was 15, in Romania.
Prosecutors have requested four of the brothers’ luxury cars worth £710,000 be confiscated, citing money laundering through purchases.
The case has not yet determined whether DIICOT will seek extradition from the US; the indictment must be examined by a judge before trials can commence.
The Tates have denied all allegations and maintained that their online personas do not reflect their real personalities. Their lawyer, Eugen Constantin Vidineac, said the decision does not determine guilt but represents an attempt to bring the case before court after a prior indictment failed to proceed due to irregularities.
He added that the prosecution is filing a new indictment that will undergo scrutiny and that the Tates retain the right to presume innocence and mount an effective defence.
