Directorate for Investigating Organised Crime and Terrorism (DIICOT) prosecutors are asking the court to remand in custody brothers Andrew and Tristan Tate, with dual citizenship – British and American – accused of forming an organised criminal group, trafficking in persons, trafficking in minors, sexual intercourse with a minor, money laundering, influencing statements and aiding and abetting a perpetrator.
The Tate brothers were detained on Wednesday night along four other accomplices: Alex Stanciu, Alex Donea, Georgiana Naghel and Luana Radu.
Prosecutors are asking judges to remand only the British and Georgiana Naghel, while for Luana Radu investigators are asking for house arrest.
Investigators allege that the Tate brothers recruited 34 victims using the loverboy method and taking advantage of their state of vulnerability, and with the support of other members of the group, they transported and sheltered them in different locations, where they supervised and coordinated them, forcing them to produce pornographic material, which they then distributed for a fee on dedicated platforms. The profits thus obtained from the sexual exploitation of the victims were estimated at over 2,800,000 US dollars and 887,000 tokens.
It was also found that between 2014 and December 2021, one of the Tate brothers, by misleading (loverboy method) and taking advantage of the obvious vulnerability of a minor (17 years old, foreign citizen), transported and placed her in several locations in the United Kingdom and Romania, where he forced her to engage in sexual acts in order to produce pornographic material and distribute it on various websites. From the criminal activity material benefits estimated at over 1.5 million US dollars were obtained, which the defendant appropriated in full.
It was also found that, since December 2020, he repeatedly engaged in sexual intercourse and sexual acts with a minor victim, aged 15.
Investigators carried out several searches on Wednesday, including at the Tate brothers’ home, and seized EUR 26,000, RON 81,000, GBP 5,800 and USD 6,400, as well as two luxury watches, laptops, data storage units, documents and other evidence.
Also seized were 16 luxury cars and a motorcycle.
The Tate brothers and their two accomplices – Alexandra-Luana Radu and Georgiana Manuela Naghel – were indicted in another case on 20 June 2023, accused of setting up an organised criminal group for the purpose of soliciting, accommodating and exploiting women by forcing them to create pornographic material for distribution for a fee on pornographic websites. The trial is still at the preliminary chamber stage.
AGERPRES
