Escalation: DIICOT indicts Andrew and Tristan Tate over trafficking minors

Romania indicted Andrew Tate on charges of trafficking minors, sex with a minor, money laundering and witness tampering. His brother, Tristan, was charged with complicity. The indictment centers on a girl who was 15 when Andrew met her in Luton in 2012 and was later moved to Bucharest, where she was coerced into producing webcam pornography through violence and psychological pressure.

It also alleges Andrew repeatedly had sex with another 15-year-old between December 2020 and mid-2021. Tristan is accused of knowing the first victim was underage, misleading her about Andrew’s intentions, monitoring her accounts and using physical aggression. The brothers allegedly kept about $1.25 million from the first victim’s video chat earnings, roughly 80 percent of her income.

Prosecutors say the brothers tried to hide the origin of trafficking proceeds by buying four luxury cars worth about 825,000 euros between December 2023 and July 2024, and authorities are seeking to confiscate them. The indictment also alleges efforts to influence victims and witnesses with money, phones and legal help or through intimidation. The case now moves to a Romanian preliminary chamber review before any trial and can proceed even if the brothers remain abroad.

AI-synthesized from multiple reported sources