Romanian prosecutors have charged social media influencer Andrew Tate, 39, and his brother Tristan Tate, 38, with serious crimes including trafficking minors, having sex with a minor, and money laundering. The brothers were arrested in Bucharest in late 2022 and have been the subject of an ongoing legal investigation. According to DIICOT, Romania’s anti-organized crime agency, the Tates are accused of coercing a victim by pretending to be in a loving relationship and then forcing her to produce pornographic content for an online webcam business. The case was initially brought against the brothers in 2022, but a court returned it to DIICOT in 2024 due to legal and procedural issues. Despite this, the investigation continued, and a new indictment was issued in 2024, which includes additional charges. The indictment alleges that in 2012, the brothers recruited a 15-year-old girl from Luton, England, where they are originally from, and transported her repeatedly to Romania. The agency claims they earned over $1.2 million from her webcam activity. Tristan Tate is accused of knowing the girl's age and helping to deceive her about his brother's intentions, which facilitated her exploitation. Additionally, it is alleged that between 2020 and 2021, Andrew Tate had sexual relations with another 15-year-old girl. The Tates are also accused of using proceeds from these alleged crimes to purchase luxury cars, attempting to hide the illicit source of their wealth. The Tates have consistently denied the allegations against them and have claimed there is a political conspiracy to silence them. They were initially arrested in Bucharest on charges of participating in a criminal network that lured women to Romania for sexual exploitation, and Andrew was also charged with rape. DIICOT claims that the victims were either paid or threatened to prevent them from giving truthful testimony. The brothers were recently arrested in Miami, U.S., after British prosecutors requested their extradition on sex crimes charges. The Tates took the stand in a federal court recently, arguing that they cannot effectively defend themselves if they are held in a Miami jail while fighting extradition to the U.K. Their lawyers have argued that the U.K.'s request for extradition is inappropriate, as their legal case in Romania is still ongoing. Romanian authorities have allowed the brothers to remain free with certain restrictions, such as reporting to a Bucharest police station, while the legal proceedings continue.