Tate brothers, accused of sex crimes in U.K., fight for bail in U.S. courtroom

MIAMI — Attorneys for Andrew and Tristan Tate, the “manosphere” influencers accused of sex crimes in the United Kingdom, fought for their freedom on Thursday, telling a federal judge that the defendants are not a flight risk.U.S.Magistrate Judge Lauren Louis will decide whether the dual American and U.K.

citizens deserve bail as they fight extradition across the Atlantic.Defense lawyer Howard Srebnick argued that his clients are not flight risks and have appeared “each and every time” for court dates in the U.K.and Romania.Their confinement poses an undue burden on the defendants, Srebnick said, adding that Tristan Tate has a child with special needs who depends on him.The brothers, shackled and wearing light-beige jail garb on Thursday, were taken into custody in Miami in July after prosecutors in the United Kingdom filed new charges against them.

They are fighting extradition to that county.The pair have been unfairly cast as monsters for the internet “characters” they play, Srebnick said.Andrew Tate’s social media personality as “Top G” uses “foul language, speaks in vulgarities, advocates positions that are in many ways outrageous,” the lawyer conceded.But that internet personality “is not the real Andrew Tate — that is not the person Andrew Tate.That is the character,” Srebnick said.In a surprising development, Andrew Tate’s girlfriend testified to his character.Natasha Sesay said she’s known Andrew Tate for about 5 1/2 years and they have one child together who is 8 1/2 months old, with another one due in a month.“It’s a very different character from the person you see online versus the one I know personally,” Sesay told the court.

“He’s a great father to his children.”Defense attorney Joe McBride has previously denied the allegations and said the brothers’ incarceration was the “result of an unholy alliance between the enemies of free speech in the United States and the United Kingdom.”McBride told the co...