A Romanian judge who extended the detention of Andrew Tate and his brother Tristan has highlighted the 'dangerousness' of the pair to explain his reasoning.
The Tates, who are in custody while being investigated for alleged human trafficking and rape, will be held in custody for an extra 30 days.
This means they won't be released until February 27.
As reported by the BBC, the judge in Bucharest explained his reasoning for extending their detention in a written statement, in which he pinpointed their ability to target vulnerable victims.
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In his statement, the judge highlighted the Tate brothers' 'ability to identify vulnerable victims' and 'consider them to be the culprits, rather than the traffickers who obtain huge profits from exploiting them'.
The statement also referenced the so-called 'loverboy method' used by traffickers to lure in women, adding that the alleged victims had 'asked the defendant[s] for attention and affection'.
While prosecutors had not 'fully clarified' all of the facts of the case, the judge explained that this didn't eliminate 'a reasonable suspicion' that the Tate brothers had committed the crimes they are accused of.
His statement echoed many of the arguments put forward by the prosecution, who claimed that women allegedly recruited by the Tate brothers had been forced to work for 12 hours.
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The extension is also intended to safeguard the investigation and guarantee that the brothers will be present for future court dates.
The Tates are in custody alongside two Romanian women - Georgiana Naghel and Luana Radu.
Investigators claim that in early 2021 the four constituted an organised criminal group, set up to recruit women and force them to perform 'pornographic events' which were distributed through TikTok and OnlyFans.
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Prosecutors allege the brothers recruited victims by seducing them and falsely claiming they wanted a relationship or marriage.
They say the victims were then taken to properties on the outskirts of the city of Bucharest, where the sexual exploitation allegedly took place.
Tate has previously claimed the case against him is 'empty', denying that he had harmed any women when questioned by reporters on January 25.
Tate was born in Washington DC and spent a lot of his childhood living in Britain. He moved to Romania five years ago, before he was arrested in December 2022.
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The kick-boxing champion and online personality had amassed a huge online following on social media platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, Facebook and Twitter.
His views on women were controversial and drew in wide criticism, as he has previously questioned whether women should be allowed to drive and even likened women to dogs and children.
Speaking on a podcast, Tate said: "You can’t be responsible for something that doesn’t listen to you. You can’t be responsible for a dog if it doesn’t obey you, or a child if it doesn’t obey you, or a woman that doesn’t obey you."
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His misogynistic comments ultimately saw him banned from several platforms.
No charges have been filed and the Tate brothers deny the allegations against them.
Topics: World News
Ben Thompson