Andrew Tate Placed Under House Arrest Amid Human Trafficking Investigation

World » SOUTHEAST EUROPE | August 23, 2024, Friday // 10:21
Bulgaria: Andrew Tate Placed Under House Arrest Amid Human Trafficking Investigation

A Romanian court has decided to place Andrew Tate under house arrest, as confirmed by his representative late last night, according to Reuters. The popular social media influencer, who holds both British and American citizenship, is currently being investigated for human trafficking and sexual exploitation.

Andrew Tate and his brother Tristan, along with four other individuals, were detained on Wednesday following a series of raids conducted by Romania's Organized Crime and Terrorism Investigation Directorate in Ilfov County and Bucharest Municipality. The Directorate had requested that the Tate brothers be kept in custody for 30 days. However, the court decided to place Andrew Tate under house arrest and Tristan under judicial control, which involves periodic police checks and restrictions on leaving the country.

In response to the court's decision, Mateea Petrescu, a representative for the Tate brothers, stated that they welcome the ruling and vehemently deny all allegations, calling them baseless and lacking substantial evidence.

Earlier in 2023, Andrew Tate, his brother, and two Romanian women faced charges of human trafficking, rape, and forming a criminal ring for the sexual exploitation of women. The Tates have denied these accusations.

Before their recent detention, the brothers were under a travel ban, which restricted them to traveling within Romania but prevented them from leaving the country. Andrew Tate, known for his controversial and misogynistic social media presence, has garnered a significant following by promoting an ultra-macho lifestyle, which critics argue is demeaning to women.

A post from Tate’s "X" social media account criticized the ongoing situation, alleging that attempts to tarnish his reputation were based on unfounded claims.

The Directorate for the Investigation of Organized Crime and Terrorism reported that the six individuals detained face charges related to forming an organized criminal group, human trafficking, trafficking minors, sexual contact with minors, and money laundering. They noted that they had requested custody for three of the defendants and house arrest for another.

According to the Directorate, two of the detainees used the "lover-boy" technique to deceive victims into believing they were in romantic relationships, coercing 34 victims into participating in pornographic videos sold online, which reportedly generated over 2.8 million dollars in revenue and 887,000 tokens. Additionally, the Directorate claimed that one defendant forced a 17-year-old to produce pornography in both Britain and Romania, earning 1.5 million dollars, and engaged in repeated sexual relations with a 15-year-old.

Southeast Europe » Be a reporter: Write and send your article
Tags: Tate, Romanian, charges

Advertisement
Advertisement
Bulgaria news Novinite.com (Sofia News Agency - www.sofianewsagency.com) is unique with being a real time news provider in English that informs its readers about the latest Bulgarian news. The editorial staff also publishes a daily online newspaper "Sofia Morning News." Novinite.com (Sofia News Agency - www.sofianewsagency.com) and Sofia Morning News publish the latest economic, political and cultural news that take place in Bulgaria. Foreign media analysis on Bulgaria and World News in Brief are also part of the web site and the online newspaper. News Bulgaria