Barrie Drewitt-Barlow, 57, and his husband Scott Hutchison, 32, have been charged with multiple serious sexual offences, including rape, sexual assault, and modern slavery trafficking for sexual exploitation, according to Essex Police. The pair, from Danbury in Essex, were due to appear before Chelmsford Magistrates’ Court on Friday.

The charges follow coordinated police raids carried out at properties in Danbury, Maldon, and Braintree earlier this week as part of an investigation led by Essex Police’s Serious Crime Directorate.

Drewitt-Barlow first gained national attention in 1999 when he and his then-partner Tony Drewitt-Barlow became one of the first gay couples in Britain to have children through a surrogate mother.

The immediate outlook is that the pair will appear in court, with an ITV documentary series focusing on Drewitt-Barlow's plans for non-league football side Maldon & Tiptree FC reportedly being cancelled following the charges. The court will proceed with the case, with the Crown Prosecution Service having formally approved the charges against the pair.