Luiza Ilie
Romanian prosecutors on Tuesday charged British-American social media influencer Andrew Tate with human trafficking, rape and forming a gang to sexually exploit women. He gained millions of fans by promoting an ultra-masculine lifestyle.
Tate was indicted with his brother Tristan and two Romanian women also suspected. They are under house arrest pending an investigation into abuse against seven women who prosecutors say were lured by false allegations of relationships. The suspects denied the allegations.
The Tate brothers, both former kickboxers, are the most high-profile suspects facing trial for human trafficking in Romania.
Andrew Tate, a self-described misogynist, has built up a following, mostly young men, building a luxurious, hyper-male image of driving fast cars and dating beautiful women.
The four suspects were held in police custody from December 29 to March 31 before a Bucharest court placed them under house arrest. Prosecutors try to extend.
A judge will decide on Wednesday (21) whether to extend the detention for 30 days or replace it with a lighter measure.
Andrew Tate, 36, was also accused of raping one of the victims, while Tristan, 34, was accused of inciting others to violence, according to prosecutors.
“We embraced the opportunity (a trial) presented to him to demonstrate his innocence and vindicate his reputation,” said a spokesman for the brothers’ legal team. The trial will not begin immediately.
Under Romanian law, the case is sent to the preliminary chamber of the Bucharest court, where a judge has 60 days to inspect the case files to ensure legality.
Trafficking in adults carries a prison sentence of up to 10 years, as does rape.
Prosecutors also said they are investigating the four suspects in a separate ongoing case over allegations of money laundering, witness tampering and child and adult trafficking.
‘STEALING MY WEALTH’
The prosecution also sought the confiscation of property, luxury watches, cash and cryptocurrencies seized by prosecutors during the investigation.
“I am sure this case has absolutely nothing to do with the theft of my wealth,” tweeted Andrew Tate sarcastically.
In 2022, he was the eighth most Googled person in the world, second only to figures like Johnny Depp, Will Smith and Vladimir Putin.
In the past, Tate has compared women to dogs and said they bear some responsibility for her rape. He said he moved to Romania after being investigated in the UK over sexual assault allegations, which were eventually dropped.
On the Fresh&Fit podcast last year, he said he started earning money by convincing several girlfriends to videochat and share the profits when he lived in London.
Romanian prosecutors said the Tate brothers recruited their victims by seducing them and falsely claiming they wanted a relationship or marriage.
Victims were taken to properties outside the capital, Bucharest, and through physical violence and mental intimidation were sexually exploited, being forced to produce pornographic content for social media sites that generated large financial gains, prosecutors said.
The case will be a test case for Romania’s Organized Anti-Crime Unit, which last year investigated 458 new trafficking cases and convicted 138 sex and labor traffickers, according to an annual report on trafficking by the US Department of State.
The report noted a slowdown in the pace of prosecution and persistent, low-level official complicity in trafficking crimes.
Source: Folha
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