Controversial online influencer Andrew Tate charged with rape, human trafficking in Romania

Social media influencer Andrew Tate, along with his brother and two of his associates, has been charged with rapeand human trafficking in Romania after a six-month-long probe, the prosecutors said in a statement on Tuesday.

"The anti-organised crime prosecution's unit (DIICOT) ordered the indictment" of the four defendants for offences, including "setting up an organised criminal group... trafficking in persons... rape", they said.

The four were arrested by the Romanian police in December 2022. They were placed under house arrest earlier this year in the month of March.

Tate, his brother Tristan and the two Romanian women deny all the accusations against them.

"It was held that, in early 2021, the four defendants formed an organised criminal group with a view to committing the crime of trafficking in persons on the territory of Romania, but also in other countries, such as the United States and the United Kingdom," DIICOT said in a statement.

Apart from the human trafficking and rape charges, "both in continuous form", the four have also been indicted for "illegal access to a computer system, altering the integrity of computer data, instigation to assault or other violence and assault or other violence," the statement further added.

As per DIICOT, Tate and the others arrested allegedly trafficked, recruited and exploited women by forcing them into "pornographic acts with a view to producing and disseminating such material" online.

Romanian police have raided several properties in connection to the Tate brothers and captured assets, including a collection of luxury cars, aspart of the investigation.

Tate, once a successful kickboxer, gained notoriety for misogynistic comments and hate speech. He has made statements blaming women for rape and claiming that they belong to men.

Who is Andrew Tate?

Also known as King Cobra, Tate participated in the UK reality series Big Brother in 2016 but was disqualified after a video surfaced showing him attempting to hit a woman, which he disputed.

His distinctive kind of self-help guidance for men in the realms of business, financial, personal life, and mental health, which he refers to as "Tate speak",has helped him progressively grow in popularity.

He is arguably the most well-known among individuals with a similar message who call themselves "Men's Rights Activists." Over the past few years, they have claimed to empower men through a plethora of YouTube channels and podcasts.

(With inputs from agencies)

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