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21 hours ago
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The controversial influencer brothers Andrew and Tristan Tate have been arrested in the US as part of a UK police investigation into a number of alleged sexual offences.
The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said it was bringing further charges in relation to four further individuals, and had requested the two men’s extradition.
The brothers, who are dual British-US citizens, were arrested in Miami on Saturday.
Andrew Tate, 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 Tate, 38, is charged with one further count of sexual assault, two counts of rape and three counts of arranging or facilitating trafficking for sexual exploitation.
The CPS said the 38 additional charges, in addition to the 21 already brought, relate to alleged offences between July 2010 and August 2017.
The head of the CPS special crime division, Malcolm McHaffie, said: “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.”
US marshals confirmed to the BBC that the Tates had been taken into custody, and a US Department of Justice spokesperson said the arrests were “pursuant to extradition proceedings”.
Matt Jury, a lawyer who represents four alleged British victims of Andrew Tate, said: “Andrew Tate is now facing the real prospect of extradition to the UK after years of public campaigning by the four British women I represent.
“They have spent years fighting for action to be taken, and I now urge the authorities to ensure this case proceeds as quickly as possible.
“Andrew and Tristan Tate are accused of some of the most serious offences, including multiple counts of rape and human trafficking. It is time they face justice.”
Joseph McBride, a lawyer for the brothers, said the latest charges were designed to counter defamation lawsuits the Tates have filed in the US.
“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 said in a widely reported statement.
“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.”
Bedfordshire police said the major crime unit for Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire had continued to investigate a number of other offences reported to them and the Hertfordshire force.
The assistant chief constable of Bedfordshire police, 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.”
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.
They are facing legal proceedings in Romania, where they currently live, and were facing extradition to the UK upon their completion after Bedfordshire police secured European arrest warrants for the pair in 2024.
The two have previously “unequivocally” denied wrongdoing, with Andrew Tate describing himself and his brother as “very innocent men”.
In June, a high court judge threw out their attempt to bring a legal challenge against the CPS after it did not disclose the names of their alleged victims in UK criminal proceedings.
