Influencer Andrew Tate was arrested on suspicion of sexual assault and human trafficking on Thursday in Romania. This is just one day after getting mocked by teen activist Greta Thunberg in front of an audience of 150 million.
According to a statement from Romania’s Directorate for the Investigation of Organized Crime and Terrorism (DIICOT), Police searched five residences connected to four suspects as part of an investigation into organized crime, human trafficking, and sexual assault.
The four suspects were initially not identified, but it was stated that two of them were British citizens and that the other two were citizens of Romania.
“Romanian authorities needed proof that Andrew Tate was in the country so they reportedly used his social media posts,” tweeted civil rights attorney Alejandra Caraballo, sharing a screenshot of Mr Tate’s video from the day before.
Tate is seen in the video enjoying a Jerry’s pizza. This is a famous chain in Romania.
It was claimed that they held at least six women captive in homes near Bucharest, subjecting them to sexual assault and coercion to produce explicit content for only fans and other content hubs.
The two British residents were identified as Tate and his brother Tristan by the Romanian daily Gândul. Tate is a British-American kickboxer most known for his exaggerated online persona.
Reuters also got images of Tate’s arrest, which showed him in a black leather jacket and hoodie being walked by the police.
Tristan is also seen being taken in the video. According to the official footage, highly armed police officers raided mansions to seize cash, weapons, gold bars, and fancy automobiles.
The brothers are accused of employing the “loverboy method.” This method includes setting up a connection on social media before persuading the ladies to come to Romania to seek a romantic relationship.
According to local news website G4, they reportedly kept women in a tiny studio where they were forced to perform as explicit models for OnlyFans and other websites.
The plan failed when one American woman was able to text her boyfriend her location. He subsequently informed the American Embassy that she was being kept against her will, according to Romania TV and Gândul.
According to Gândul, many women were found when police searched the five residences on Thursday. Gândul reported, “including the woman with American citizenship, but also a young woman from the Republic of Moldova.”
According to DIICOT, the four suspects were imprisoned for 24 hours while being questioned after their capture.