Andrew Tate and brother in court docket over human trafficking expenses
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ontroversial influencer Andrew Tate and his brother Tristan appeared at a Romanian court docket on Wednesday to face charges of human trafficking and forming a prison gang to sexually exploit girls.
The self-proclaimed misogynist, his sibling and two Romanian feminine suspects have been earlier charged by Romanian authorities and can face trial.
The accused are all below home arrest pending a prison investigation for abuses dedicated in opposition to seven girls. The Tate brothers have denied the accusations.
Prosecutors declare the feminine victims included some who have been “misled” by “false claims of marriage and love”.
Andrew Tate has additionally been charged with raping one of many victims, whereas his brother Tristan has been charged with instigating others to violence.
Tristan Tate, escorted by bodyguards, arrives at court docket in Bucharest
/ Inquam Photos/Sabin CirstoveanuAsked by reporters: “How a lot cash have you ever created from trafficking girls?” outside court ahead of Wednesday’s hearing, Tate replied: “Zero.”
Tate’s spokesperson mentioned on Tuesday that the brothers have been ready to “demonstrate their innocence and vindicate their reputation”.
She said: “Tate’s legal team are prepared to cooperate fully with the appropriate authorities, presenting all necessary evidence to exonerate the brothers and expose any misinterpretations or false accusations.”
Under Romanian regulation, a choose has 60 days to examine the case information to make sure legality. Trafficking of adults carries a jail sentence of as much as 10 years.
Tate, 36, has repeatedly claimed Romanian prosecutors don’t have any proof and claims the case is politically motivated.
The brothers have been first arrested in Bucharest in December final yr and held in custody till March earlier than being launched below home arrest.
Romania’s anti-organised crime company mentioned the seven alleged victims have been recruited with false declarations of affection and brought to Romania’s Ilfov county, the place they have been pressured to participate in pornography.
The girls have been allegedly managed by “intimidation, fixed surveillance” and claims they have been in debt, prosecutors declare.
Prosecutors ordered the confiscation of the Tate brothers’ property, together with 15 luxurious automobiles, designer watches and about three million {dollars} (£2.3 million) in cryptocurrency, the company mentioned in an announcement.
Andrew Tate is an American-British kickboxer born in Chicago, Illinois however raised in Luton, England. He is a son of the late chess participant Emory Tate.
Tate labored as a TV producer whereas coaching as a kickboxer, earlier than occurring to combat professionally.
His look on Big Brother in 2016 kick-started his life within the public eye. Since then, Tate has gained notoriety for making offensive, misogynistic feedback on social media.
Videos of Tate have amassed hundreds of thousands of views attracting widespread criticism and resulting in calls from girls’s charities to have him faraway from social media.