Romanian prosecutors have officially indicted Andrew and Tristan Tate on multiple felony charges, including trafficking minors, money laundering, sex with a minor, and witness tampering, according to court documents filed on Friday. The indictments follow a years-long investigation by Romania’s Directorate for Investigating Organized Crime and Terrorism (DIICOT), which alleges the brothers recruited victims under false pretenses before forcing them into pornographic webcam operations. Andrew Tate faces additional charges of sex with a minor, while Tristan Tate is indicted for complicity in the alleged crimes. Both men have denied all wrongdoing and are pursuing legal challenges.
The Tates, former professional kickboxers with dual U.S. and British citizenship, were arrested in Miami on July 29 after British authorities requested their extradition to face separate rape charges. They remain in U.S. custody as a federal judge reviews the extradition request. Romanian prosecutors have not yet confirmed whether they will seek the brothers’ extradition from the U.S., though legal experts note that Romania permits trials in absentia if defendants are unavailable. Under Romanian law, the indictment must first be reviewed by a preliminary court chamber judge within 60 days to verify procedural and evidentiary compliance before a trial can proceed.
Prosecutors allege the Tates lured victims—primarily young women—into relationships under false promises of marriage or partnership before coercing them into producing explicit content for an online business. The indictment specifies that at least one victim, a minor, was allegedly transported to Luton, England, for the purpose of sexual exploitation. Romanian officials have not publicly named the victims but state the investigation spans multiple years, with initial probes dating back to December 2022. The Tates’ legal team, led by Romanian attorney Eugen Vidineac, has vowed to contest the indictment on evidentiary, procedural, and legal grounds, calling the charges politically motivated and unsupported by evidence.
In a statement, the Tates’ U.S.-based lawyer, Joseph McBride, reiterated their innocence, asserting that the cases reflect an abuse of authority by British and Romanian prosecutors. McBride stated, “America does not do Britain’s political dirty work,” and expressed confidence that a full judicial review would exonerate the brothers. Meanwhile, supporters outside the U.S. courthouse in Miami have staged demonstrations, holding signs reading “Free the Tates” and calling for their release. The case has drawn international attention due to the Tates’ prominent status as social media influencers with millions of followers, particularly within online “manosphere” communities.
The legal proceedings in Romania and the U.S. are proceeding independently, with no confirmed timeline for either jurisdiction’s next steps. A U.S. federal judge is expected to rule on the British extradition request within weeks, while Romanian authorities have indicated the preliminary review of the indictment could take up to two months. The Tates’ legal teams in both countries are coordinating defenses, though they have not yet filed formal responses to the charges in Romania. Analysts note that the case could set precedents for cross-border prosecutions of online exploitation crimes, particularly those involving digital coercion and international trafficking networks.