Andrew Tate back in Romanian court as new charges emerge

BBC ^ | Aug 22 | Sarah Rainsford

[RandFan]

Romanian prosecutors are asking a court in Bucharest to remand in custody the controversial internet influencer Andrew Tate and his brother Tristan as they investigate new and serious allegations, including sex with a minor and trafficking underage persons.

The two men appeared in court on Thursday afternoon.

The new investigation involves a total of 35 alleged victims, including a woman who was 15 at the time.

In a statement, Romania’s agency against organised crime, DIICOT, said six people had been detained in total, both Romanians and foreigners.

The Tate brothers have previously been charged with human trafficking - and Andrew Tate charged with rape - and are awaiting trial on those charges.

They strongly denied any wrongdoing and deny the formal charges they face. These are new and separate allegations.

The anti-organised crime agency says the accused were grooming "vulnerable" people, who were then housed in different locations and forced to produce pornographic material for online broadcast.

One of the foreign men is accused of forcing a 17-year-old foreign citizen to "perform sexual acts" in order to make online video content. He is said to have kept all the $1.5m (£1.1m) profit. The statement does not name him.

The same man is accused of repeatedly having sexual relations with a girl who was 15 years old when they met.

After questioning for several hours at the DIICOT offices, Andrew Tate told the BBC on Wednesday night that the latest allegations were "pathetic" and that prosecutors were "desperate". He said they had "made up a lot".

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