What has Andrew Tate been charged with and could he go to prison?

ANDREW Tate and his brother Tristan have now been charged following their December arrest - they now face a trial that could last years.

Here's everything you need to know about what the Tate brothers have been charged with.

What has Andrew Tate been charged with?

Former kickboxer Tate, 36, and his brother Tristan were released from the hellhole jail they had been held in for three months on March 31 on house arrest.

But the pair, who have dual US and British nationality, have now been formally charged.

The indictment says the brothers, along with two other co-defendants, formed an organised criminal group in 2021 for human trafficking in Romania, the US and the UK.

It claims seven alleged victims were recruited by Tate through false promises of marriage or a relationship, known as the "loverboy method".

It states that the seven alleged victims were then later transported and housed in buildings in Ilfov country where they were subject to act of physical violence, mental coercion through intimidation, constant surveillance, and sexual exploitation by the group members.

Tate has been charged with rape and Tristan has been charged with instigating others to violence.

It comes as Tate could be sued in the High Court after four British women accused him of rape and sexual assault.

Lawyers representing the alleged victims handed court papers to Tate last week at his compound in Bucharest.

The women say the sex attacks happened between 2013 and 2016 when Tate was still living in the UK.

What has Tristan Tate been charged with?

Tristan Tate has been hit with the same charges as Andrew.

The two co-defendants also charged alongside the brothers, are believed to be the Romanian women who were arrested at the same time as Andrew and Tristan.

They were also mentioned in the indictment as part of the human trafficking group.

Could Andrew and Tristan Tate go to prison?

Under Romanian law, trafficking of adults carries a prison sentence of up to 10 years.

But it is understood the trial is expected to take several years.

The trial will not start immediately and under Romanian law, the case gets sent to the court's preliminary chamber, where a judge has 60 days to inspect the case files to ensure legality.

Both Tate and his brother have denied allegations made against them.

A spokesman for the pair said: "The indictment of Andrew and Tristan Tate has been sent to the court, as per the DIICOT's recent press release.

"While this news is undoubtedly predictable, we embrace the opportunity it presents to demonstrate their innocence and vindicate their reputation.

"Our primary focus will be to establish the truth and ensure a fair and impartial examination of the evidence the legal team will submit.

"Tate's legal team are prepared to cooperate fully with the appropriate authorities, presenting all necessary evidence to exonerate the brothers and expose any misinterpretations or false accusations."