Controversial “manosphere” influencer Andrew Tate and his brother, Tristan Tate, have been arrested in Miami after the U.K. government filed rape and sex trafficking charges against the siblings.
“We have decided to prosecute Andrew and Tristan Tate for further offenses including rape, arranging or facilitating trafficking for sexual exploitation and offenses relating to indecent images of a child,” Malcolm McHaffie, head of the U.K. Special Crime Division at the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), announced on Saturday, July 18. “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.”
The CPS confirmed multiple media reports that Andrew, 39, and Tristan, 38, were apprehended by U.S. Marshals in Miami on Saturday ahead of a scheduled bareknuckle boxing event they were expected to host.
The Associated Press reported that the Tates are due to appear in a federal court early next week to begin extradition proceedings to the U.K.
Per the Crown Prosecution Service, prosecutors chose to move forward with 21 previous charges in addition to fresh counts related to four additional alleged victims. These additional incidents allegedly occurred between July 2010 and August 2017 in London.
Right-wing conservative personality Andrew now faces “seven further counts of rape, three counts of arranging or facilitating trafficking for sexual exploitation, three counts of assault occasioning actual bodily harm,” per the CPS. He has also been cited for 19 additional alleged offences involving indecent images of a child and extreme pornography.
His brother Tristan is facing additional charges for one count of sexual assault, two counts of rape and three counts of arranging or facilitating trafficking for sexual exploitation.
“The Crown Prosecution Service reminds everyone that criminal proceedings are active, and that these defendants have the right to a fair trial,” McHaffie said on Saturday. “It is extremely important that there be no reporting, commentary or sharing of information online which could in any way prejudice these proceedings.”
McHaffie concluded, “The CPS has requested the extradition of the Tates from the US. They have been arrested and await extradition proceedings to the UK.”
Us Weekly has reached out to the Tates for comment.
On Saturday, their attorney Joseph McBride told The Associated Press that he’d yet to speak to his clients, but claimed he was confident that the criminal charges were alleged “filth and slander.” He added that the Tates have denied any wrongdoing.
“They’re pulling out all the stops to make sure these guys never get their day in court,” McBride claimed. “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.”
The Tate brothers — who hold dual U.S. and British citizenship — have been involved in previous international legal cases. An unrelated sex trafficking case in Romania ultimately folded under accusations of alleged legal and procedural improprieties.
Andrew rose to fame as a contestant on the U.K. version of Big Brother before carving out an online niche with the manosphere through content that has been widely criticized as sexist, racist, misogynist and offensive. Both Tates are vocal supporters of President Donald Trump.
If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673). If you or someone you know is a human trafficking victim, contact the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888.
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