Andrew And Tristan Tate Charged With Rape And Human Trafficking While Their Fans Defend Them As 'Truth-tellers'

Controversial influencers Andrew and Tristan Tate have been formally charged in Romania with rape, human trafficking and forming an organized sex ring, a dramatic step forward in the pair's case following their December 2022 human trafficking arrest.

The indictment, which also names two of the brothers' associates, names seven defendants who claim to have been recruited by the Tate brothers under false pretenses, taken to a building in Romania and forced through financial coercion to film pornography that was later shared on social media. One woman alleges that one of the defendants, presumably Andrew Tate, raped her twice in March 2022.

As the Tate brothers' legal team prepares a defense – their media representative claims the indictment will allow them to "present a comprehensive body of evidence, diligently collected and prepared over time, which will undoubtedly substantiate the brothers' claims of innocence" – social media has begun acting out a familiar routine in which fans of the Tates have begun implying their indictment is a conspiracy orchestrated by "woke" powers that be or "the matrix" to silence influential voices in right-wing online spaces.

Multiple commenters lumped in the Tates' arrest to those of Donald Trump, who has twice been arrested in 2023 for allegedly paying hush money to Stormy Daniels and unlawfully keeping and sharing secret Presidential documents after his term, and Alex Jones, who was sued by the families of the Sandy Hook School Shooting for spreading conspiracies that it was a false flag operation.

As word spread of the pair being charged, many others online did not see the Tates' arrest in this context, expressing that indicting alleged sex criminals for human trafficking did not indicate a larger conspiracy orchestrated by the deep state to silence a prominent right-wing voice.

After the charges, a judge now has 60 days to review the case files before a trial formally begins. The Tates currently face up to 20 years in prison if convicted.