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Disgraced influencer Andrew Tate will face trial on charges of rape, human trafficking and forming a criminal gang to sexually exploit women, authorities in Romania said Tuesday.
Tate, his brother Tristan and two other suspects have been under house arrest after a police investigation that led to their arrest in December. They deny the allegations.
Romania’s organized crime agency, DIICOT, said in a statement that it would send four people to court: two British-American dual nationals and two Romanians. The Tate brothers are both dual U.S.-British nationals.
Andrew and Tristan Tate were not explicitly named by authorities Tuesday but a spokesperson for the brothers confirmed their indictment to NBC News.
“While this news is undoubtedly predictable, we embrace the opportunity it presents to demonstrate their innocence and vindicate their reputation,” the spokesperson, Mateea Petrescu, said in a statement.
The indictment will allow the Tates and their team to “present a comprehensive body of evidence, diligently collected and prepared over time, which will undoubtedly substantiate the brothers’ claims of innocence,” Petrescu added.
No trial date has yet been set.
Romanian authorities said in January they had seized luxury cars and other assets worth $3.9 million from a compound near Bucharest, the Romanian capital, as part of the investigation into Tate.
The brothers were remanded in custody and released on house arrest in March.
Tate is a former kickboxer who has built up a massive social media following by sharing provocative, often misogynist views on the role of women and masculinity.
Teachers across the English-speaking world and beyond have discussed how to deal with young people who have been influenced by Tate’s more extreme views.
He was banned from several leading social media platforms last year but has since been reinstated on Twitter, where he has continued to update his followers on his detention.
On Tuesday, Tate retweeted a Twitter account with the username @Tatenews_ which said: “Up until now no judge has reviewed the evidence in the case file. It was all based on arguments to keep the Tate brothers in jail and under house arrest.”
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
