Britain’s first gay surrogate parent charged with trafficking and rape | News UK

One of the UK’s first gay surrogate parents has been charged with human trafficking and sexual exploitation, along with another man.

Barrie Drewitt-Barlow, 57, was charged with the offences yesterday following an investigation by Essex Police.

The reality TV star rose to fame in 1999 when he welcomed a child with his ex-husband through a surrogate mother, becoming one of the first gay couples to do so.

Drewitt-Barlow is the co-owner of Maldon and Tiptree football club together with Scott Drewitt-Barlow, 32.

Both men face charges of arranging or facilitating travel of another person with a view to exploitation and a spate of sexual offences, including rape of a man.

Detectives were seen at the Drewitt-Barlow Stadium earlier in the week, home to Maldon and Tiptree FC in Essex, while Barrie Drewitt-Barlow’s mansion was also searched.

Essex Police said its serious crime officers carried out co-ordinated searches at premises in Danbury, Maldon and Braintree on Wednesday, and two men were arrested.

The force said the two men have since been liaising with the CPS.

Meanwhile, the Drewitt-Barlow Stadium was meant to be used as a polling station during the local election yesterday, but voting was relocated.

Doug Wilkinson, Maldon District Council’s deputy returning officer, said the decision was made to relocate polling to Blackwater Leisure Centre instead ‘in light of an ongoing police investigation.’

ITV has now shelved a planned TV show about the football club co-owners called Up The Jammers.

The six-part series follows the pair in their pursuit to take the the Isthmian League North Division team ‘to the grand heights of the English Football League within four years,’ according to an earlier ITV press release.

Barrie Drewitt-Barlow said in the release: ‘We didn’t get into football to play it safe, we got into it to build something big, and ITV is the perfect platform to bring that story to life.

‘Nothing has been hidden. The pressure, the decisions, the ambition, the ups and downs, it’s all there. This is the reality of football ownership, unfiltered, and people are going to see exactly what it takes to try and take a club to the next level.’

ITV’s spokesperson confirmed today that it has decided to remove Up The Jammers from the upcoming schedule, and it won’t be airing on ITV4 or ITVX.

Both men, of Danbury, Essex, will appear at Chelmsford Magistrates’ Court at a later date.

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