Disgraced influencer Andrew Tate has been indicted on charges of rape, human trafficking, and forming a criminal gang to sexually exploit women, Romanian authorities said Tuesday.
Tate, his brother Tristan and two other suspects have been under house arrest since December. They have denied all charges.
Andrew and Tristan Tate were not officially named by authorities but Romania’s organized crime agency, DIICOT, said two British-American dual nationals faced charges.
“While this news is undoubtedly predictable, we embrace the opportunity it presents to demonstrate their innocence and vindicate their reputation,” the spokesperson, Mateea Petrescu, said in a statement.
Tate is a former kickboxer who grew a massive social media following. He appeared on Big Brother UK in 2016 but was removed from the show after nine days amid allegations he physically beat his ex-girlfriend.
He has denied those reports as well.
Since his exit from the show, he has grown popular on social media. However, he has come into controversy for his misogynist views on the role of women and masculinity.
Tate has been banned from several social media platforms since last year but has been reinstated on Twitter, where he has continued to update his followers on his case.
This is a developing story and will be updated as more news becomes available.