Andrew Tate has been formally indicted in Romania on charges including trafficking a minor, having sex with a minor, money laundering and witness tampering, opening another major chapter in the years-long criminal investigations surrounding the controversial social-media personality and his brother Tristan Tate.

Romania’s anti-organized crime agency, DIICOT, announced the indictment on Sept. 4. Tristan Tate was also indicted for complicity in the case, according to prosecutors. Both brothers have denied wrongdoing and their Romanian attorney said they intend to challenge what their defense considers any evidentiary, procedural or legal deficiencies in the case.

The new prosecution centers in part on allegations involving a girl who Romanian authorities say was 15 years old when Andrew Tate began a relationship with her in Britain in 2012. Prosecutors allege she was subsequently transported to Romania and sexually exploited for money through online webcam content.

Prosecutors Detail Allegations Involving 15-Year-Old Girl

DIICOT alleges Andrew Tate seduced the teenager in Britain before bringing her to Bucharest, where prosecutors say physical violence and psychological intimidation were used to force her to produce sexually explicit online material.

Authorities allege Tristan knew the victim's age and knew she had been recruited by his brother. Prosecutors further claim Tristan deceived the girl about Andrew's feelings and intentions and used physical aggression as part of the alleged exploitation.

According to prosecutors, the brothers retained approximately $1.25 million generated through the victim's webcam activity—roughly 80% of the money she earned. Authorities allege some of that money was then laundered through the purchase of four luxury vehicles.

Andrew Tate also faces an allegation of having sex with another minor, while prosecutors accuse him of witness tampering. DIICOT alleges efforts were made to pressure or influence victims into withholding statements or providing false information to investigators.

The allegations remain unproven, and the Tate brothers maintain their innocence.

Second Romanian Indictment

The latest indictment is separate from—but connected to the broader history of—Romania's long-running investigation into the brothers.

Andrew and Tristan Tate were initially detained in Bucharest in December 2022. Romanian prosecutors formally indicted them in 2023 in a case involving allegations of human trafficking, rape and forming an organized criminal group.

That prosecution encountered a significant setback in late 2024 when a Romanian appeals court identified legal and procedural problems, ruled some evidence inadmissible and returned the case to prosecutors rather than allowing it to proceed to trial in its existing form. The decision did not amount to an acquittal or a finding that the underlying allegations were false.

The September 2026 indictment represents another formal prosecution arising from the investigations surrounding the brothers.

As with Romanian criminal indictments generally, the new case must pass through a preliminary court chamber, where a judge reviews the legality of the indictment and evidence before the case can move toward trial.

Tate Brothers Currently Being Held in United States

The Romanian development comes while Andrew and Tristan Tate are already facing a separate international legal battle.

The brothers, who hold U.S. and British citizenship, were arrested in Miami in July after British authorities sought their extradition from the United States. They remain in U.S. custody while challenging extradition to Britain, where they face separate criminal allegations.

The Romanian allegations and British proceedings are separate cases and should not be conflated.

Romanian prosecutors have not yet made clear whether they will separately seek to have the brothers extradited to Romania. Romanian law can allow criminal proceedings to continue in the defendants' absence under certain circumstances.

For now, the latest indictment adds another layer to an already complicated international legal situation for the Tate brothers, with criminal proceedings involving them now stretching across Romania, Britain and the United States.

Their Romanian attorney Eugen Vidineac said the brothers “continue to reject the allegations” and that their legal team will scrutinize the new indictment and challenge any deficiencies through the judicial process.