Barrie Drewitt‑Barlow, 57, and his husband Scott, 32, have appeared in court charged with multiple offences, including rape, sexual assault and modern‑slavery trafficking for sexual exploitation.
Warning: This report contains details of accusations of sexual assault.
The multi‑millionaire couple are the owners of the UK’s Maldon & Tiptree Football Club and have been prominent advocates for rainbow families, surrogacy and IVF access.
The pair are accused of targeting and grooming young males. In court they spoke only to confirm their names and address.
Outside the court, their barrister Oliver Snodin said the couple “strenuously denied” all allegations. They will return to Chelmsford Crown Court on 5 June.
Barrie Drewitt and his former partner Tony Barlow made a fortune through their dermatological testing business, which they sold for millions of pounds in 1998. They went on to form several other successful businesses.
In 1999 they became the first gay men in the UK to father twins through surrogacy in the United States. The couple went on to have three more children and featured in the landmark 2010 documentary My Weird & Wonderful Family. They entered a civil partnership in 2006 and married in 2014 when same‑sex marriage became legal in England.
In 2019 Barrie announced the couple were divorcing and that he had entered a new relationship with personal assistant Scott Hutcherson, who had previously dated his daughter. Drewitt‑Barlow and Hutcherson went on to have two more children.
Drewitt‑Barlow has appeared on several reality television programs, including Below Deck Sailing Yacht and Rich House, Poor House. In 2025 the couple bought Maldon & Tiptree Football Club, and a documentary series about their takeover had been filmed. It was scheduled to air on Britain’s ITV this month but has now been cancelled following their arrest.
The Crown Prosecution Service said Barrie Drewitt‑Barlow has been charged with three counts of sexual assault on a male, four counts of rape of a man aged 16 or over, and two counts of arranging or facilitating the travel of another person with a view to exploitation.
Scott Drewitt‑Barlow has been charged with one count of sexual assault on a male, one count of rape of a man aged 16 or over, and two counts of arranging or facilitating the travel of another person with a view to exploitation.
The court was told the alleged offences occurred between 2013 and 2026. Prosecutors described the pair as a couple who owned multiple businesses and lived “million‑dollar lifestyles.”
“It is alleged they have both targeted young males; they have recruited them, they have befriended them, they have groomed them,” Prosecutor Serena Berry said. “They have invited them to their home and other premises.”
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