US court denies Tate brothers’ bid to be released from Miami jail

A United States judge has turned down a request from social media influencers Andrew and Tristan Tate to be released from jail as they appeal their extradition to the United Kingdom, where they face rape charges.

On Wednesday, US Magistrate Judge Lauren Louis ruled that the brothers constituted a “quintessential flight risk” because of their wealth and frequent international travel and must therefore remain in a Miami jail.

“While [the brothers] may not in fact possess what extravagant holdings they portray themselves as possessing online, the record reflects that they possess an exceptional capacity to flee the jurisdiction,” Louis wrote.

A lawyer for the brothers said they would “continue to defend themselves against the allegations they face and engage with the appropriate legal processes in each jurisdiction”.

Andrew and Tristan Tate were arrested in Miami, Florida, on July 18 after the UK requested their extradition to face charges of rape, assault and facilitating trafficking for sexual exploitation.

The pair, who have citizenship in the US and the UK, have denied all wrongdoing.

Defence lawyers previously argued that the brothers should be released from jail as they contest their extradition, saying their high-profile status makes fleeing the country unrealistic.

The Tates’ legal team also downplayed the brothers’ depictions of extravagant wealth on social media as “theatrical” and “grandiose”.

Prosecutors said in an August 10 court filing that Andrew and Tristan Tate recruited dozens of women to engage in work doing webcam pornography beginning in 2014. They later offered online courses through a venture called “Hustler’s University”.

During a hearing on August 27, the court was shown a video of Andrew saying, “Slap, slap, grab, choke, shut up b****, sex”, in what appeared to be a description of his “pimping” lifestyle.

The Tates have built a massive online profile through what critics say is a promotion of aggressive misogyny.

In addition to facing charges in the UK, the brothers are also defending themselves in a case in Romania, where they were indicted for trafficking minors, among other offences.

Their defence team cited the Romanian case as another reason the brothers needed to be released from jail.

“They are now facing an extraordinary situation in which they are being held thousands of miles from Romania while Romanian proceedings continue, deadlines approach, an additional indictment is said to be imminent and their own Romanian lawyer says he cannot properly prepare,” a statement from their lawyers said.

“No serious person can pretend that this can be reviewed properly through occasional conversations from a federal detention center in another country.”