Court orders Andrew Tate held until Feb. 27 on rape, human trafficking allegations

Jan. 20 (UPI) -- Alleged human trafficker and social media personality Andrew Tate and his brother Tristan will remain in custody in Romania until Feb. 27.

A court in Bucharest agreed Friday to extend their detention, following a request by the Directorate for the Investigation of Organized Crime and Terrorism, or DIICOT, as an investigation continues.

Romanian authorities are investigating the Tates for allegedly operating "an organized criminal group" to carry out sexual crimes against women.

Two Romanian female suspects were also ordered held for an extended period.

Tate and his brother deny the allegations of human trafficking and rape. They were arrested Dec. 29 and are accused of operating a human trafficking ring that sexually exploited women.

Tate is a former kickboxer banned from TikTok, Instagram, Facebook and YouTube for misogynistic comments. Tate has millions of followers online.

In October, DIICOT said in a statement that Tate and his brother lured women by misrepresenting their intention to enter into a marriage/cohabitation relationship.

The statement said the women were victims of "physical violence and mental coercion (through intimidation, constant surveillance, control and invoking alleged debts)" and were sexually exploited forcing them to make pornography.