Tate brothers vow to fight extradition over rape, sex trafficking and child abuse image charges

Want LBC stories before everyone else? Set us as your Preferred Source on Google

The brothers appeared in a US court on Monday, where lawyers said they would fight extradition to Britain.

It comes after the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) on Sunday confirmed it was bringing further charges against the brothers, who were arrested by US Marshals in Miami, in relation to allegations from four additional victims.

Posting on X, their lawyer Joseph McBride said the brothers were being held “in solitary confinement”.

He called their arrest “un-American and unconscionable”, adding that the UK Government “wants to bury them in a foreign prison for the rest of their lives”.

The pair have previously denied any wrongdoing and Mr McBride said the brothers were “two innocent men”.

Read more: Andrew and Tristan Tate arrested in Miami amid new sexual offence charges after UK investigation

Read more: Andrew Tate’s legal action against CPS over names of alleged victims thrown out

The CPS confirmed on Sunday that it has requested the extradition of the brothers from the US.

They aappeared in a federal courtroom in Miami yesterday wearing light brown prison uniforms, handcuffs and shackles at the waist and ankles.

Speaking only to acknowledge they understood their rights, they replied: “Yes, your honour”.

Social media influencer Andrew Tate, 39, was 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, was charged with one 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 21 existing charges, relate to alleged offences between July 2010 and August 2017.

Bedfordshire Police Assistant Chief Constable 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.

“There is no place for male violence against women and girls, and we will continue to work tirelessly to support victims and investigate all reports made to us.”

Mr McBride previously told The Associated Press: “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.”

In June, their bid to bring a legal challenge against the CPS after it did not disclose the names of their alleged victims in UK criminal proceedings was thrown out by a High Court judge.

Lawyer Matt Jury, of McCue Jury & Partners who represent four alleged British victims of Andrew Tate, said in the aftermath of the arrest: “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.”