Football club owner, Britain's first 'gay surrogate parent', charged with child sex offences

Football club owner, Britain's first 'gay surrogate parent', charged with child sex offences

Maldon and Tiptree owner Barrie Drewitt-Barlow, who made history as Britain's first gay surrogate parent, appeared alongside his husband Scott Drewitt-Barlow at Chelmsford Crown Court on Monday facing a significantly expanded list of criminal allegations. Essex Police announced 18 additional charges against the pair, bringing accusations that now include rape, child sex offences, sexual assault, and modern slavery trafficking for sexual exploitation. The 57-year-old and his 32-year-old partner, both residents of Danbury in Essex, were not asked to enter pleas during the hearing. Prosecutor Louise Oakley KC informed the court that proceedings are scheduled to commence on 18 January 2027, with an anticipated duration of eight to ten weeks. Both men were remanded in custody until a further hearing on 7 September, when they will be asked to enter pleas. Barrie Drewitt-Barlow rose to prominence in 1999 when he and his former partner Tony became among the first same-sex couples in Britain to have their names recorded on their children's birth certificates, following a surrogacy arrangement at a Californian clinic. The property developer has since appeared on various reality television programmes, including Rich House, Poor House and Below Deck Sailing Yacht. Prosecutor Serena Berry described the couple at an earlier magistrates' court hearing as "celebrities who live multi-million (pound) lifestyles and have featured in many documentaries and reality TV shows." The pair purchased non-league Maldon and Tiptree FC in 2025 and maintain additional business interests across Essex and internationally. The Football Association has suspended both men from all football-related activities while the police investigation continues. The expanded charges against Barrie Drewitt-Barlow comprise 15 additional alleged offences: two counts of sexual activity with a child, two counts of paying for sexual services of a child, five counts of rape, four counts of sexual assault, causin