UK influencer Andrew Tate charged with rape and human trafficking

Social media sensation Andrew Tate has been charged with rape, human trafficking, and forming an organised crime group, according to several news reports. Reportedly, Tate has been indicted on charges relating to human trafficking and rape. Besides Tate, his brother Tristan and two associates have also been charged in Romania with rape, and human trafficking charges. However, all of them have denied the allegations. Andrew Tate and his brother were first arrested in December last year at their Bucharest home. Three months later in March, the Tate brothers were moved from custody to house arrest following a ruling by a Romanian judge. 

The indictment deposited with the Bucharest court says that the four defendants formed an organised criminal group in 2021 to commit human trafficking in Romania, but also in other countries including the US and the UK.It names seven alleged victims who it says were recruited by the Tate brothers through false promises of love and marriage.The accused also had assets seized, including properties, cars and more than $300m (£235m) in cryptocurrency.The trial will not start immediately and is expected to take several years.A Romanian judge now has 60 days to inspect the case files before it can be sent to trial.A spokesperson for Andrew Tate, speaking on behalf of the brothers and the two associates, said: "We embrace the opportunity it presents to demonstrate their innocence."There are also separate charges still under investigation which could lead to a separate indictment, including money laundering and trafficking of minors.In 2016, Andrew Tate, a British-American former kickboxer, was removed from British TV show Big Brother over a video which appeared to show him attacking a woman.He went on to gain notoriety online, with Twitter banning him for saying women should "bear some responsibility" for being sexually assaulted. He has since been reinstated.Despite social media bans, he gained popularity, particularly among young men, by promoting what he presented as a hyper-masculine, ultra-luxurious lifestyle.