BUCHAREST, Romania — Masked police officers in Romania carried out fresh raids early Wednesday at the home of divisive internet influencer Andrew Tate, who is awaiting trial on charges of human trafficking, rape and forming a criminal gang to sexually exploit women.
Romania’s anti-organized crime agency, DIICOT, said it was searching four homes in Bucharest and nearby Ilfov county, investigating allegations of human trafficking, the trafficking of minors, sexual intercourse with a minor, influencing statements and money laundering. The agency added that hearings will later be held at its headquarters.
Tate’s spokesperson, Mateea Petrescu, said in response to the raids that “although the charges in the search warrant are not yet fully clarified, they include suspicions of human trafficking and money laundering” and added that his legal team is present. Petrescu did not address the allegations involving minors.
Dozens of police officers and forensic personnel were scouring Tate’s large property on the edge of the capital Bucharest. “During the entire criminal process, the investigated persons benefit from the procedural rights and guarantees provided by the Code of Criminal Procedure, as well as the presumption of innocence,” DIICOT noted in its statement.
The 37-year-old Andrew Tate and his brother Tristan, 36, both former kickboxers and dual British-U.S. citizens who have amassed millions of social media followers, were arrested in 2022 near Bucharest along with two Romanian women. Romanian prosecutors formally indicted all four last year. They have denied the allegations.
In April, the Bucharest Tribunal ruled that the prosecutors’ case file against the four met the legal criteria and that a trial could start but did not set a date for it to begin. That ruling came after the legal case had been discussed for months in the preliminary chamber stages, a process in which the defendants can challenge prosecutors’ evidence and case file.
After the Tate brothers’ arrest in 2022, they were held for three months in police detention before being moved to house arrest. They were later restricted to the Bucharest and Ilfov counties, and later to all of Romania.
Last month, a court overturned an earlier decision that allowed the Tate brothers to leave Romania as they await trial. The earlier court ruled on July 5 that they could leave the country as long as they remained within the 27-member European Union. The decision was final.
Andrew Tate, who is known for expressing misogynistic views online and has amassed 9.9 million followers on the social media platform X, has repeatedly claimed that prosecutors have no evidence against him and that there is a political conspiracy to silence him. He was previously banned from various social media platforms for misogynistic views and hate speech.
In March, the Tate brothers also appeared at the Bucharest Court of Appeal in a separate case, after British authorities issued arrest warrants over allegations of sexual aggression in a U.K. case dating back to 2012-2015. The appeals court granted the British request to extradite the the Tates to the U.K., but only after legal proceedings in Romania have concluded.
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McGrath reported from Sibiu, Romania.
Andrew Tate, a former reality TV star and social media personality, has found himself at the center of controversy once again as new allegations involving minors have led to a police raid at his home in Romania. The raid, which took place earlier this week, comes after several individuals came forward with accusations of inappropriate behavior and misconduct by Tate towards underage individuals.
Tate, who rose to fame on the reality TV show “Big Brother” and has since built a following on social media platforms such as Instagram and YouTube, has been no stranger to controversy in the past. However, these latest allegations have taken things to a new level, with authorities in Romania taking swift action to investigate the claims.
The details of the allegations have not been made public, as the investigation is still ongoing. However, reports suggest that the accusations involve inappropriate contact and communication with minors, as well as possible instances of grooming and exploitation.
In response to the raid and allegations, Tate has vehemently denied any wrongdoing, stating that he is confident that he will be cleared of any charges. He has also taken to social media to defend himself and refute the claims being made against him.
The case has sparked a debate online, with many of Tate’s followers expressing shock and disbelief at the allegations, while others have voiced their support for the individuals coming forward with their stories. The incident serves as a reminder of the importance of taking allegations involving minors seriously and ensuring that proper investigations are conducted to determine the truth.
As the investigation into Andrew Tate continues, it remains to be seen what the outcome will be. In the meantime, the case serves as a cautionary tale about the dangers of inappropriate behavior towards minors and the importance of holding individuals accountable for their actions.
