A father-of-seven who grew to become generally known as considered one of Britain’s ‘first homosexual dads’ and his husband who’re accused of intercourse and trafficking offences have now been charged with baby intercourse offences.
Trailblazing Barrie Drewitt-Barlow, 57 and his second husband Scott Hutchinson, 32, indicated they weren’t responsible of prices of rape, sexual assault and fashionable slavery trafficking for sexual exploitation final month.
Forward of an extra court docket look right now, Essex Police revealed the couple had been charged with 18 further offences.
Drewitt-Barlow faces 15 new prices, together with two of sexual exercise with a toddler and two of paying for sexual companies of a kid.
The others are 5 counts of rape, 4 of sexual assault, inflicting a person to have interaction in sexual exercise with out consent and inflicting or inciting sexual exercise.
The brand new offences involving Hutchinson are two counts of rape and one depend of inflicting or inciting sexual exercise.
They weren’t requested to enter pleas once they appeared at Chelmsford Crown Courtroom right now.
Prosecutor Louise Oakley KC stated they face a trial from January 18 subsequent 12 months, with a time estimate of eight to 10 weeks.
Barrie Drewitt-Barlow, 57, has been accused of sexual exercise with a toddler and two of paying for sexual companies of a kid. New prices towards his husband, Scott, 32, embody rape
They had been remanded in custody till an extra listening to on September 7, when they’re resulting from be requested for pleas.
Drewitt-Barlow and Hutchinson beforehand appeared earlier than Chelmsford Magistrates Courtroom on Might 8 when defence barrister Oliver Snodin stated each ‘strenuously denied’ the fees earlier than them on the time.
The court docket was instructed they’d ‘focused, befriended and groomed’ 4 younger males earlier than raping them.
The case was adjourned till the listening to at Chelmsford Crown Courtroom this afternoon.
The couple’s house in Danbury, Essex, was raided by police early final month when officers are understood to have knocked down a picket fence to realize entry.
Forensic models then searched the property as marked police autos sat on the driveway. Properties in close by Braintree and Maldon had been additionally checked.
Prosecutor Serena Berry stated on the earlier listening to: ‘Barrie Drewitt-Barlow is in a relationship with Scott Drewitt-Barlow… they’re what may very well be termed to be celebrities, who dwell multi-million (pound) life and have featured in lots of documentaries and actuality TV reveals.
‘They personal the Maldon and Tiptree soccer membership, they usually produce other companies within the Essex space and in addition overseas in different nations.
‘It’s alleged they’ve each focused younger males, they’ve recruited them, they’ve befriended them, they’ve groomed them. They’ve invited them to their house and different premises.’
Drewitt-Barlow and his former husband Tony grew to become well-known in 1999 after they grew to become one of many first homosexual {couples} within the UK to make use of a surrogate mom to have youngsters.
Final 12 months he purchased non-league Maldon and Tiptree FC and was resulting from begin in an ITV documentary final month about how he deliberate to show the membership’s fortunes round – though this has now been shelved.
Barrie Drewitt-Barlow (pictured) and his ex-husband Tony made headlines in 1999 once they grew to become one of many first homosexual {couples} within the UK to have youngsters by way of a surrogate mom
Essex Police raided properties related to the pair on Might 6.
The drive stated in a press release on the time: ‘Detectives have secured prices towards two males in reference to an investigation into human trafficking for sexual exploitation, rape and different sexual offences.
‘Officers from the Severe Crime Directorate at Essex Police carried co-ordinated searches at premises in Danbury, Maldon, and Braintree on Wednesday and arrested two males. Since then we now have been liaising with the Crown Prosecution Service.
‘We are able to now affirm that 57-year-old Barrie Drewitt-Barlow and 32-year-old Scott Drewitt-Barlow, each of Danbury, have each been charged with a number of offences together with rape, sexual assault, and fashionable slavery trafficking for sexual exploitation.’
Educated social employee Drewitt-Barlow and dermatologist Tony, who lives within the couple’s former £6 million, 10-bedroom marital house in Florida and has no reference to the continued felony case, had a complete of 5 youngsters by way of surrogates.
The primary had been twins Saffron and Aspen, and the couple efficiently lobbied to be recognised as same-sex mother and father on the beginning certificates, changing into ‘dad or mum one’ and ‘dad or mum two’ as a substitute of ‘mom’ and ‘father’.
The businessmen, who had a collective fortune estimated to be between £40 million and £175 million after establishing corporations together with a shopper cosmetics testing firm, grew to become civil companions in 2006 and married in 2014 however cut up up in 2019.
Drewitt-Barlow went on to marry his former private assistant Hutchinson they usually lived with Tony and the youngsters for a while in Florida.
In 2020 and 2022 the newlyweds had a daughter and son respectively.
Drewitt-Barlow’s forays into tv have included having a stranger dwell in his home for a actuality sequence and reveals resembling Wealthy Home, Poor Home and Beneath Deck Crusing Yacht.
Prior to now, he has claimed to have been approached by footballers who’re secretly homosexual – together with three he says are at present play within the Premier League.
He instructed the BBC that whereas he’s blissful to assist, he didn’t need to change into ‘the poster boy for homosexual footballing’.
‘I’ve already been classed because the poster boy for homosexual parenting or surrogacy and it does not get anyone anyplace,’ he defined.
‘I do not assume folks need to [come out] as a result of they’re scared about what may occur within the dressing room, in addition to on the pitch.
‘I believe the one folks that may really assist and make it extra normalised are the leagues and the FA.’
Sandy Wiezycki, 58, who lives in Florida and has identified Drewitt-Barlow since 2012 when she began working for the couple’s shopper analysis firm within the US, instructed the Mail final month ‘It is onerous to consider these allegations.
‘Barrie’s at all times been a happy-go-lucky man and a giant character… However he is dedicated to his youngsters and to his work.
‘I have not seen Barrie currently as a result of he travels rather a lot. I do know he is been in England and I am hoping that is all a mistake… I am shocked.’
Essex Police requested anybody with info regarding the investigation to contact officers through the Main Incident Public Portal (MIPP).
In addition they arrange an incident room on the telephone quantity 0800 051 4526, or 020 7126 7612 for worldwide callers.
