Romanian prosecutors indict Andrew and Tristan Tate on trafficking, sexual abuse and money laundering charges
Romanian anti-organized crime officials have formally charged social media personalities Andrew and Tristan Tate with trafficking minors, sexual offenses involving a minor, and laundering proceeds from the alleged scheme.
Romanian prosecutors have filed an indictment against Andrew Tate, 39, and his brother Tristan Tate, 38, accusing them of trafficking minors, sexual activity with a minor and money-laundering. The charges stem from a DIICOT investigation that led to the brothers' arrest in Bucharest in late 2022 and a prior indictment in 2023, which was returned to the agency in 2024 for procedural issues.
According to DIICOT, the brothers allegedly recruited a 15-year-old girl in England in 2012, coerced her into producing pornographic webcam content, and earned more than $1.2 million from the operation after moving her to Romania. The agency claims Tristan Tate was aware of the victim’s age and that Andrew Tate engaged in sexual acts with another 15-year-old victim between December 2020 and mid-2021.
The indictment also alleges that between December 2023 and July 2024 the brothers attempted to conceal the illicit proceeds by purchasing four luxury cars valued at roughly €825,000, which were later requested for confiscation.
"The victims were paid or intimidated to discourage truthful statements or to provide false statements," DIICOT said.
Both brothers have denied the accusations, with Andrew Tate asserting that the case is part of a political conspiracy. They are currently detained in Miami pending a United Kingdom extradition request on related sex-crime allegations. Their legal team argues that the UK request should be deferred until the Romanian proceedings conclude. Romanian authorities have allowed the brothers limited freedom, requiring regular reporting to a Bucharest police station while the case proceeds.