Controversial influencer Andrew Tate and his brother Tristan, along with two associates, were indicted on Tuesday in Romania. The four defendants are charged with crimes including allegations of rape, human trafficking, and forming an organized crime group to exploit women. All four defendants have vehemently denied these allegations.

The Tate brothers were initially arrested at their home in Bucharest in December, but in March, they were placed under house arrest based on a decision by a Romanian judge. The Tate brothers and two Romanian female suspects are currently under house arrest as they face criminal allegations for abuses committed against seven women. In addition to the charges against Andrew Tate, which include allegations of rape, his brother Tristan has been accused of instigating others to commit acts of violence. One defendant is accused of raping a woman twice in March 2022.

The Tate brothers are scheduled to appear at a hearing in the Bucharest Court on Wednesday morning at 11 a.m. (4 a.m. ET). During the hearing, the court will deliberate on the appropriate preventive measures or continue their house arrest and establish a trial date. According to Romanian law, the case will be forwarded to the court’s preliminary chamber, where a judge will thoroughly examine the case files within a period of 60 days to ensure legal compliance. It is anticipated that the trial will not begin immediately and may extend over a period of several years.

Additionally, there are ongoing investigations into separate charges, such as money laundering and the trafficking of minors, which could potentially result in a separate indictment.

The Tate brothers’ legal team said:

Will embrace the opportunity to fight in court and present arguments and evidence. The referral of the case to the Bucharest Court, the judge will set a hearing in which he will either communicate the indictment to the defenders chosen by Andrew and Tristan Tate or set a deadline for communicating the indictment by post. At the same hearing, the judge will discuss whether a preventive measure against the defendants is necessary.

The indictment presented to the Bucharest court states that the defendants established an organized criminal group in 2021 to commit human trafficking in Romania and other countries such as the US and the UK. According to the indictment, the Tate brothers recruited seven alleged victims through false pretenses of romantic relationships and marriage.

Romanian prosecutors allege:

The alleged victims were later taken to buildings in Ilfov county in Romania where they were intimidated, placed under constant surveillance and control, and forced into debt.

They further alleged that the defendants coerced the women to participate in pornography, which was subsequently shared on social media. According to Andrew Tate’s Twitter posts, the videos in question are referenced as Tik Tok clips. Interestingly, Tik Tok community guidelines prohibit nudity, sexual activity, and sexually explicit content. It remains unclear if the videos that are the subject matter of the criminal proceedings are indeed Tik Tok reels, and if so, if pornography was contained in them, noting that adult content isn’t suitable for the video platform, to begin with.

The legal team representing the Tate brothers said:

Our main objective will be to establish the truth and ensure a fair and impartial legal approach by presenting evidence and proof relevant to the case. The referral of the case for trial will allow us to present a comprehensive body of evidence, diligently gathered and prepared over time, which will undoubtedly be essential in exonerating the defendants.

In February, a Romanian judge ruled that two women, who denied being victims of trafficking by Andrew Tate and his brother Tristan, were unknowingly enslaved due to manipulation and brainwashing.

Andrew Tate, a British-American former kickboxer, has a history of controversy. In 2016, he was expelled from the British TV show Big Brother after controversial Tweets regarding race and homosexuality surfaced. Shortly after, a video was leaked to the press showing him apparently striking a woman with a belt as he threatened to “f***ing kill her” if she messaged another man. Tate claims this was a “kinky sex video,” edited to make it look more nefarious. He said the footage was fully consensual and that the woman featured remains friends with him.

Despite being banned from major social media platforms for his provocative remarks, including suggesting that women should “bear some responsibility” for sexual assault, resulting in a Twitter ban, Tate has managed to maintain an online presence and cultivate a following, mostly among young men.

On Tuesday, Andrew Tate shared a video on social media detailing legally unsubstantiated allegations made against prominent celebrities, including soccer player Cristiano Ronaldo and the Amber Heard defamation case brought by Johnny Depp. The video also features an alleged victim claiming that “police don’t care about the truth,” stating that they have offered statements purporting that they are not victims of Tate, and claiming police have “thrown out” their statements on three occasions.

The woman in the video contends that the charges are politically motivated, saying:

The police know that there was no crime and they are holding the Tate brothers locked with no evidence because they think it’s good for Romanian politics.

Men.

This isn’t about me.

This isn’t about whether you like me or not.

This is about all of us.

Today it’s me. Tomorrow it’s you.

Nobody is safe from these lies. pic.twitter.com/K41k9hRYVX

— Andrew Tate (@Cobratate) June 20, 2023

The media team for the Tate brothers said:

While this news is undoubtedly predictable, we embrace the opportunity it presents to demonstrate their innocence and vindicate their reputation.

Despite being banned from major social media platforms, Tate’s presence continues to attract attention. Before its removal, his TikTok account accumulated about 11.6 billion views.