Andrew Tate, an ex-professional kickboxer and social media personality known for his controversial opinions, has been arrested in Romania on accusations of human trafficking and rape.
The arrest followed a Twitter exchange between Tate and climate activist Greta Thunberg, in which Tate boasted about his 33 cars. Thunberg responded with a mocking email address, leading Tate to post a video of himself smoking a cigar and eating a pizza. However, the pizza box was from a Romanian chain, which tipped off authorities to his location in the country.
The incident illustrates the potential for social media to be used by authorities in tracking and investigating criminal activity.
Details of the arrest
Andrew and Tristan Tate were apprehended on Thursday in Romania on charges of forming an organized crime group that took advantage of the vulnerability of women for pornographic videos. The Romanian newspaper Gândul reported that the investigation was underway for human trafficking and rape.
During the investigation, police searched five homes and reportedly found "several" women, cash, firearms, gold bars, and vehicles. The suspects are accused of keeping at least six women in houses in Bucharest, where they allegedly were sexually assaulting the women and forcing them to make pornographic material for social media using the threat of violence.
The Directorate for the Investigation of Organized Crime and Terrorism of Romania issued a statement suggesting that the suspects were "said to have created a criminal organization to recruit, inhabit, and exploit women by creating pornographic content meant to be seen on the specialized websites for a fee. They would have amassed considerable amounts of cash because of it."
How authorities tracked Andrew Tate's location
After responding to Greta Thunberg's mockery on Twitter, Andrew Tate posted a video in which he wrote a response to Thunberg's insults while smoking a cigar and devouring a pizza from a local Romanian restaurant. The only problem was the pizza box was from a local Romanian pizzeria, resulting in the discovery of Tate's presence in the country.
Romanian authorities needed evidence that Andrew Tate was in the country, so they reportedly used social media posts as evidence. His video showing the pizza from a restaurant in Romania confirmed his location, and his tweet became the most-favorited tweet of all time.
Andrew Tate reacted to Greta Thunberg in a video where he is seen eating a pizza from a box labeled "Jerry's Pizza," a Romanian restaurant chain. After seeing the Pizza box, authorities were convinced that Andrew Tate was in Romania, leading to his arrest.
Andrew Tate's history of controversial behavior
Andrew Tate became famous in 2016 following his appearance on the British reality show "Big Brother," where he drew fuss for homophobic and racist remarks. He later kicked off the series after a video showed him hitting a woman with a belt. Since then, he has been known for his controversial and offensive statements on social media, including misogynistic and far-right views.
He has also faced backlash for his involvement in conspiracy theories and misinformation. Despite the backlash, Tate has maintained a following and has continued to make controversial statements and engage in online disputes.
Sources:
- https://news.sky.com/story/who-is-andrew-tate-self-styled-king-of-toxic-masculinity-and-butt-of-greta-thunbergs-jokes-12776832
- https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/andrew-tate-arrest-greta-thunberg-pizza-b2253365.html
- https://www.euronews.com/2022/12/30/andrew-tate-influencer-who-sparred-with-greta-thunberg-arrested-in-romania
- https://www.foxnews.com/world/thunberg-swipes-andrew-tate-human-trafficking-charges-twitter-spat
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