Who is Andrew Tate, controversial influencer charged with rape and human trafficking
According to a statement from Romanian prosecutors, the alleged victims were later taken to buildings in Ilfov county in Romania where they were intimidated, placed under constant surveillance and control and forced into debt.
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FollowRomanian prosecutors charged controversial influencer Andrew Tate for raping a Romanian woman, human trafficking and forming an organised crime group to sexually exploit women. His brother Tristan and two associates have also faced the charges. The Tate brothers were the first to be arrested at their Bucharest home in December.
They were placed under house arrest in March as a result of a Romanian judge's decision. The four defendants allegedly created an organised criminal gang in 2021 to engage in human trafficking not only in Romania but also in the US and the UK, according to the accusation filed with the Bucharest court.
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It has named seven alleged victims who it says were recruited by the Tate brothers through false promises of love and marriage.
According to a statement from Romanian prosecutors, the alleged victims were later taken to buildings in Ilfov county in Romania where they were intimidated, placed under constant surveillance and control and forced into debt.
The defendants allegedly then forced the women to take part in pornography which was later shared on social media. One defendant is accused of raping a woman twice in March 2022, the statement further added. The accused also had assets seized, including properties, cars and more than $300m (£235m) in cryptocurrency.
Additionally, separate allegations of money laundering and trafficking in minors are currently being investigated and may result in a new indictment. Former kickboxer and British-American Andrew Tate were fired from the British television programme Big Brother in 2016 when a video surfaced that purported to show him assaulting a lady.
The controversial influencer went on to gain notoriety online, with Twitter banning him for saying women should "bear some responsibility" for being sexually assaulted. He has since been reinstated.
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