Barry Druitt Barlow with her husband Scott Hutchison
British businessman and TV personality Barry Druitt-Barlow, who became widely known in the UK after he and his former partner were among the country’s “first gay parents” through surrogacy, has been charged with multiple serious sexual offenses alongside his husband Scott Hutchison.Essex Police said 57-year-old Druitt Barlow and Hutchison, 32, both from Danbury in Essex, were charged with crimes including rape, sexual assault and modern slavery trafficking for sexual exploitation, the Daily Mail reported, citing police.The couple were due to appear at Chelmsford Magistrates’ Court on Friday.The charges follow coordinated police raids on properties in Danbury, Maldon and Braintree earlier this week as part of an investigation led by Essex Police’s Serious Crime Directorate.Police said in a statement: “Officers from Essex Police’s Serious Crime Directorate carried out coordinated searches at locations in Danbury, Maldon and Braintree on Wednesday and arrested two men.”Police added that investigators were working with the Public Prosecution before formally approving charges against the couple.“We can now confirm that 57-year-old Barry Druitt Barlow and 32-year-old Scott Druitt Barlow, both of Danbury, have been charged with multiple offenses including rape, sexual assault and trafficking into modern slavery for sexual exploitation,” the statement read.
Druitt-Barlow first gained national attention in 1999 when he and then-partner Tony Druitt-Barlow became one of the first gay couples in Britain to have children through a surrogate mother.Over the years, he has also appeared on TV shows including Rich House, Poor House and Below Deck Sailing Yacht.The businessman later entered football ownership after taking over non-league side Maldon & Tiptree FC.
British media reports said that an ITV documentary series focusing on his plans for the club had been canceled following the accusations.Druitt-Barlow has also spoken publicly in the past about sexuality in professional football, claiming that some current footballers have approached him privately about coming out as gay.He previously told the BBC that he did not want to become the “poster boy for gay football”. “I’ve already been labeled as the poster person for gay parenting or surrogacy, and that’s not getting through to anyone anywhere,” Druitt-Barlow said.“I don’t think people want that [come out] Because they are afraid of what might happen in the locker room, as well as on the field. I think the only people who can really help and make it more normal are the leagues and the FA.