Tate brothers face rape and trafficking charges in the U.K.

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LONDON (AP) — Influencer brothers Andrew and Tristan Tate have been charged in Britain with rape and other crimes, prosecutors said Wednesday.

The charges were authorized in January last year and news media at the time reported on arrest warrants issued against the Tates, dual U.S. and British citizens who moved to Romania in 2016. But the Crown Prosecution Service said this was the first time it confirmed the two had been criminally charged in Britain.

Andrew Tate, 38, faces 10 charges related to three women that include rape, actual bodily harm, human trafficking and controlling prostitution for gain. Tristan Tate, 36, faces 11 charges related to one woman that include rape, human trafficking and actual bodily harm.

A spokesperson for the two had no immediate comment when reached by The Associated Press.

The brothers are both former professional kickboxers who have millions of followers on social media. Andrew is more well-known, having drawn a larger following with his unapologetic misogyny that has drawn boys and young men to the luxurious lifestyle he projects.

The Tates were arrested in Romania in late 2022 and formally indicted last year on charges that they participated in a criminal ring that lured women there, where they were allegedly sexually exploited. Andrew Tate was also charged with rape.

They have denied all the allegations in Romania.

Romanian courts have issued an order to extradite the two to the U.K. once their court case is concluded in there, British prosecutors said.

The warrant issued by Bedfordshire Police for the siblings dates back to between 2012 and 2015.

The whereabouts of the brothers was not immediately clear. They were photographed a week ago outside a police station in Voluntari, Romania, where they have to report regularly while facing charges there.

— Associated Press writer Jill Lawless contributed to this report.