Content creators Andrew and Tristan Tate were arrested in Romania Tuesday for sex offense charges in the U.K.
Responding to two European arrest warrants issued by U.K. judicial authorities, officers arrested the two influencers in Voluntari in the center of the eastern European country. While officials have agreed to extradite the brothers to Britain, they postponed proceedings until after they face trial in Romania over rape and human trafficking.
The Tate brothers have denied any wrongdoing in both cases.
“They categorically reject all charges and express profound disappointment that such serious allegations are being resurrected without substantial new evidence,” Mateea Petrescu, a spokeswoman for the two influencers, said in a statement.
The Tates were awaiting trial in Romania on charges of forming a criminal gang to sexually exploit women. Separately, the two were held in police custody for three months in Bucharest last year following their arrest on charges of abuse of at least seven women. The brothers were placed on house arrest following their release in August.
Both Tates have gained a notorious reputation on the internet for their videos. Andrew, the more famous of the two, runs Hustlers University, a self-help program focused on masculinity and finance management. He has become the favorite villain of women’s and teachers’ groups who call his rhetoric divisive and dangerous.
Despite this, Mr. Tate has a massive following, garnering billions of views across all his social media accounts where he discussed his preference for a male-dominated society and financial independence. He and his content have been banned from TikTok, YouTube, Facebook and Instagram.
• Vaughn Cockayne can be reached at vcockayne@washingtontimes.com.
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