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THE Tate brothers are being investigated amid claims a 17-year-old girl was trafficked to Britain and forced to “perform sexual acts in order to produce pornographic material”.
The Romanian Directorate for the Investigation of Organised Crime and Terrorism (DIICOT) on Thursday announced one of the alleged victims, 17, was “misled” and housed in several locations across both Romania and the UK.
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It’s alleged she was forced to perform sexual acts, before pornographic material was sent out on various websites.
Romanian cops also allege a defendant had “sexual relations” with a 15-year-old from December 2020.
Two defendants are accused by prosecutors of buying luxury cars “in the names of close people” to hide how they were making profits from human trafficking, authorities say.
They allegedly used the “loverboy” method, getting girls to become infatuated with them before then recruiting them and moving them around different houses to make porn.
It would then be broadcast on multiple platform with viewers paying a fee, it’s alleged.
The Romanian authorities say there are a total of 34 alleged victims who were all in an “obvious state of vulnerability”.
Prosecutors claim the defendants profited $2.8million (£2.1million) “from the sexual exploitation of the victims”.
Since initially being arrested in December 2022, the Tate brothers have vehemently denied all allegations levelled against them.
Andrew believes they are being targeted by “The Matrix” – what he describes as an establishment that punishes those who step out of line.
The brothers were arrested on Wednesday night after Romanian cops searched four properties across the country.
They are legally allowed to detain them for 24 hours – but need a sign off from a judge, called a preventative arrest, to keep them in cuffs for any longer.
If a judge allows a preventative arrest it means they can be kept for a further 30 days.
The DIICOT statement said: “As a result of the home searches, the sums of approximately 26,000 euros, 81,000 lei, 5,800 GBP and 6,400 USD, two luxury watches, laptops, data storage units, documents and other evidence were identified and seized.
“An insurance seizure was instituted on 16 cars and a motorcycle, all from the luxury category.”
Andrew, the best-known brother, is a former kick-boxer who shot to fame projecting an ultra-masculine persona to social media.
The self-proclaimed misogynist, 37, is a divisive figure who infamously said that women should “bear responsibility” for being sexually assaulted.
He was banned on multiple social media platforms but recently made a comeback on X, where he has nearly 10million followers.
Andrew told reporters prosecutors were “desperate” as he was forced into a police van Wednesday night.
A Bucharest court recently banned the brothers from leaving Romania while they await a trafficking trial.
That overturned a previous decision in July which allowed them to travel within the EU.
A date for the trial is yet to be set.
The dual British-US citizens, raised in Luton, are also wanted in the UK after four women accused them of rape and sexual assault.
The Bucharest appeals court has granted a British request to extradite them back to the UK after legal proceedings in Romania wind up.
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