BUCHAREST, Romania -- Prosecutors said on Tuesday that social media personality Andrew Tate was charged in Romania with rape, human trafficking, and forming a criminal gang to exploit women. Tate is known for expressing misogynistic views online.

According to the country's anti-organized crime agency, charges were also brought against Tate's brother Tristan and two Romanian women in a court in Bucharest, the capital of Romania.

In a proclamation, the Directorate for Examining Coordinated Wrongdoing and Psychological warfare claimed the four litigants shaped a crook bunch in 2021 "to carry out the wrongdoing of illegal exploitation" in Romania as well as the US and England.

According to the agency, seven female victims were misled and taken to Romania, where they were sexually abused and physically abused by the gang. According to the statement, one defendant is accused of raping a woman twice in March 2022.

Since 2017, Tate, 36, has lived in Romania. The former professional kickboxer has alleged that the case is a political plot to silence him and that Romanian prosecutors lack evidence.

Mateea Petrescu, who serves as a spokesperson for Tate, stated on Tuesday that the brothers were ready to "demonstrate their innocence and vindicate their reputation." She added that a hearing on Wednesday morning in Bucharest is anticipated to be attended by the two men.

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

Before defendants are sent to trial, a judge in Romania has up to 60 days to evaluate the case files.

At the end of December, the Tate brothers—both British and American citizens—and the two Romanian suspects were taken into custody in Bucharest. On March 31, the brothers were granted their request to be transferred from police custody to house arrest.

Tate was a hugely successful figure on social media at the time. He had more than 6 million followers on Twitter, many of whom were young men and schoolchildren. He was previously banned from TikTok, YouTube, and Facebook for his misogynistic remarks and hate speech, including his assertion that women should bear the responsibility for sexual assault.

He got back to Twitter last year after the stage's new President, Elon Musk, restored Tate's record. Hope Not Hate, a UK anti-fascist group, has warned that Tate is still attracting a large following of young men and teenage boys who are drawn to his "misogynist, homophobic, and racist content" due to the opulent lifestyle the influencer portrays online.

The seven alleged victims, according to DIICOT, Romania's anti-organized crime agency, were lured to Ilfov County, Romania, where they were compelled to participate in pornography. Prosecutors claimed that the women were subjected to "intimidation, constant surveillance," as well as claims that they were in debt.

According to the statement released by the agency, the authorities confiscated the Tate brothers' assets, which included approximately $3 million in cryptocurrency, luxury watches, and 15 luxury cars.

In Britain, a number of women are also suing Tate in civil court for damages, claiming they were the victims of sexual violence. In a new meeting with the BBC, Tate prevented spreading a culture from getting sexism and allegations that he controlled people for monetary benefit.