Prosecutors noted that the brothers have been mainly based in Romania since 2017 and have been under criminal investigation there since December 2022, with charges that include human trafficking.

Romanian prosecutors said the Tates recruited victims by seducing them with false promises of a relationship or marriage, then forced them to create pornographic material for a webcam business.

Prosecutors said the brothers kept $1.25 million of a victim’s video‑chat earnings and tried to launder the money by purchasing four luxury cars.

Under Romanian law, the indictment must be sent to a preliminary court chamber, where a judge has 60 days to review the case files, although in practice such reviews often take longer.

The Tate brothers remain in a U.S. jail while a judge decides on their extradition to Britain, and a DIICOT spokesperson said it is not yet clear whether Romanian authorities will request their extradition from the United States.