A Bucharest court on Friday extended by at least one month the detention of influencer Andrew Tate and his brother Tristan, pending investigations for alleged human trafficking and rape, prosecutors said.
„At the request of the prosecution, the court has accepted the extension of the detention of the two Tate brothers until February 27,” Ramona Bolla, a spokeswoman for Romania’s anti-organized crime and terrorism directorate said.
Tate, a 36-year-old British-American former kickboxer, along with his younger brother and two Romanian women are under investigation for allegedly „forming an organized criminal group, human trafficking and rape”.
They allegedly coerced women into „forced labor… and pornographic acts” for „substantial financial benefits”.
They were all arrested in late December and ordered held for 30 days during the robe.
Tate and his brother deny the accusations.
As part of the probe, Romanian police raided several properties connected to the Tate brothers and seized 15 luxury cars, 14 watches and „sums of money” in different currencies amounting to „about 18 million lei (3.6 million euros)” in total.
Prosecutors had already searched Tate’s villa in April.
Prosecutors say a human trafficking network set up by the suspects had been operating since 2019 and lured „several victims, including minors… for the purpose of sexual exploitation”.
Victims were tricked into believing the Tate brothers wanted a romantic relationship with them. They were then allegedly forced into prostitution and making pornographic videos.
Tate used social media platforms to promote his divisive views before being banned for misogynistic remarks and hate speech.
He was recently allowed back on Twitter after billionaire Elon Musk bought the company.
Romanian man charged with human trafficking says he ‘lives like a lord’ in Northern Ireland
