Andrew and Tristan Tate arrested in US in connection with UK police investigation

Andrew and Tristan Tate
Andrew Tate (L) and his brother Tristan. (Image: AP)

Andrew and Tristan Tate have been arrested in the US on an extradition request from the UK after prosecutors said they were bringing further charges against them.

The controversial social media influencers were taken into custody in Miami on Saturday on a sealed warrant, the US Marshals Service said.

The UK’s Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said it would bring ​more charges against the brothers after it identified four additional alleged victims.

Andrew, 39, is charged with seven further counts of rape, three counts of arranging or facilitating trafficking for sexual exploitation, three counts of assault occasioning actual bodily harm and 19 additional charges for offences relating to indecent images of a child and extreme pornography.

Tristan, 38, is charged with one count of sexual assault, two counts of rape and three counts of arranging or facilitating trafficking for sexual exploitation.

The brothers have previously denied any wrongdoing. Pic: Andrew Tate @Cobrat
Image:The brothers have previously denied any wrongdoing. Pic: Andrew Tate @Cobrat

The CPS said the 38 additional charges, in addition to 21 existing charges, relate to alleged offences between July 2010 and August 2017.

The previous charges were connected to three other alleged victims and relate to allegations said to have taken place between 2012 and 2016.

More on Andrew Tate

 

Malcolm McHaffie, head of the special crime division at CPS, said: “We have decided to prosecute Andrew and Tristan Tate for further offences including rape, arranging or facilitating trafficking for sexual exploitation and offences relating to indecent images of a child.

“These charging decisions followed receipt of a further file of evidence from Bedfordshire Police and bring the total number of alleged victims in this case to seven.”

Bedfordshire Police said the Bedfordshire Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire Major Crime Unit had been continuing to investigate a number of other offences reported to both them and Hertfordshire Constabulary.

‘No place for male violence against women and girls’

Bedfordshire Police Assistant Chief Constable Karena Thomas said: “Officers from our major crime unit have been working closely alongside the Crown Prosecution Service and both national and international law enforcement agencies as part of this complex investigation.

“We understand the interest that this case will generate, but we would urge the public not to speculate and to allow the legal process to be carried out correctly.

“There is no place for male violence against women and girls, and we will continue to work tirelessly to support victims and investigate all reports made to us.”

Andrew Tate first reached a mainstream audience as a contestant on reality TV show Big Brother. Pic: AP/Andreea Alexandru
Andrew Tate first reached a mainstream audience as a contestant on reality TV show Big Brother. (Image: AP/Andreea Alexandru)

 

Lawyer claims ‘egregious abuse’

The brothers’ lawyer, Joseph McBride, said his clients were “innocent” and claimed the new charges were designed to counter defamation charges filed by the pair in the US.

In a statement, he said: “The world knows Andrew and Tristan Tate are innocent. Their enemies know it best of all. That is exactly why they have been attacked.”

He added: “We are confident that once a competent judge sees the facts, and once the Department of Justice confronts this egregious abuse of its own authority, Andrew and Tristan Tate will walk free.

“America does not do Britain’s political dirty work. Not here. Never.”

Statement released by lawyer for the brothers
Statement released by lawyer for the brothers

 

The arrests mark a new twist in the ‌widening legal troubles for the brothers, who already face criminal proceedings in Romania, where authorities have been investigating them since December 2022.

The self-styled misogynists – who champion US President Donald Trump – are dual UK and US nationals whose controversial views are shared widely on social media platforms such as TikTok and X.

The brothers have consistently denied allegations of sexual abuse and human trafficking, claiming that violent and misogynistic statements have been taken out of context or were intended as jokes.

Source:  Sky News news.sky.com

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