Prosecutors in Romania said on Thursday (Dec 29) that they had arrested Andrew Tate, a controversial Internet celebrity and former professional kickboxer, on suspicion of human trafficking, rape, and creating an organized crime cell.
Tate, who was banned from several social media sites for misogynistic statements and hate speech, and his brother Tristan will be jailed for 24 hours together with two Romanian suspects, Bucharest prosecutors said in a statement following a search of their homes.
Since April, the Tate brothers have been the subject of a criminal investigation.
They declined to speak, but their attorney verified their detention.
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“The four defendants… appear to have constructed an organized crime gang with the intention of recruiting, housing, and exploiting women by forcing them to make pornographic content for specialized websites,” according to prosecutors.
They would have amassed substantial wealth.
Six women were identified by prosecutors as having been sexually exploited by the suspects.
Tate has stated that women share responsibility for being raped and belong to males.
This week, climate campaigner Greta Thunberg challenged the British national to “get a life” on Twitter after he claimed to possess 33 automobiles with “enormous emissions.”
