Andrew Tate indicted over sexual crimes, money laundering

• Social media personality Andrew Tate and his brother Tristan were officially indicted for a litany of crimes in Romania, as they remain in prison in the US.

Romanian anti-organized crime prosecutors officially indicted social media influencer Andrew Tate on Friday for trafficking minors, money laundering, sexual affair with a minor, and witness tampering. His brother, Tristan Tate, was also indicted for complicity in the scheme. 

The formal charges, brought by Romania's Directorate for Investigating Organised Crime and Terrorism (DIICOT), mark a major legal escalation following years of criminal investigation into the brothers' operations in the country. 

According to the DIICOT indictment, the main trafficking charges stem from the systematic recruitment and exploitation of a girl who was 15 years old when Andrew Tate first targeted her. 

Prosecutors allege Andrew Tate initiated a relationship with the minor, misleading her with false promises of romance and marriage, a classic "loverboy" grooming tactic. 

Once he gained her trust, Tate allegedly used emotional blackmail, physical violence, threats of abandonment, and constant surveillance to force her to produce explicit adult content for a commercial webcam business, prosecutors alleged. 

The indictment details that the brothers extracted approximately $1.25 million through the victim's forced webcam work, pocketing roughly 80 percent of the total revenue generated. 

Tristan Tate is accused of actively administering her accounts, monitoring her working hours, and managing the illicit funds. 

Additionally, prosecutors charge Andrew Tate with having repeated sexual relations with a second 15-year-old girl between late 2020 and mid-2021. 

DIICOT further alleges that between late 2023 and July 2024, the Tate brothers laundered the proceeds of human trafficking by purchasing luxury vehicles registered under the names of trusted associates to conceal the funds' origins. 

Prosecutors are seeking the confiscation of four luxury cars valued at €825,000, along with the seizure of $1.25 million in profits. 

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International custody 

The Tate brothers, who hold dual US and British citizenship, were arrested in Miami in late July 2026 after UK authorities requested their extradition to face separate rape and sexual assault charges. 

They currently remain incarcerated in the United States pending federal extradition proceedings. 

Eugen Vidineac, a Romanian defense attorney representing the brothers, issued a statement rejecting the charges and confirming the defense team will challenge the indictment during preliminary court proceedings.