Phillip Schofield's brother Tim Schofield appeared in court in March 2023 to face 11 charges of interfering with a child. The civilian police worker was accused of sexually abusing a teenage boy from 2016 to 2019.
According to The Mirror, the offences took place while Tim worked for Avon and Somerset police, with prosecutor Pete Stellard telling Exeter Crown Court that Tim had told his brother about the situation. He said: "This is a case about the obsessive sexual interest of Timothy Schofield in [his alleged victim] and the subsequent sexual abuse of that teenage boy."
Speaking about his relationship with his brother, and how Tim told Phillip about the situation, he continued: "The defendant is seven years younger than Phillip and they had not been particularly close growing up, however in December 2019 the defendant told his brother he was gay.
"According to Phillip the defendant travelled up that day [September 2021] and he was extremely agitated. His brother described him as very angry and distressed. The defendant also told his brother that he was impotent.
"The defendant then said his brother would hate him for what he was about to say, his brother said that he wouldn’t and then the defendant said he had their time together and that last year they had watched porn and w***** together." Phillip replied, "What did you just say?" before asking him: "What the hell is time? That should never happen again."
According to The Sun, it is understood that Phillip helped the accuser to come forward with his allegations.
Judge Mrs Justice Johanna Cutts said: "His brother is Phillip Schofield, and he happens to be the well-known television personality. I say 'happens to be' as that fact has no relevance at all in this case. The fact that he is the defendant’s brother changes nothing in this trial, the defendant will be tried in the same fair way as every other defendant."
In May 2023, it was confirmed that Timothy had been jailed for 12 years.
Delivering the final verdict, Mrs Justice Johanna Cutts said: "You exploited [the victim's] innocence at this stage of his life for your own sexual gratification. It was wrong on every level for you to behave as you did.
"He felt forced to do what you wanted, trapped and unable to escape. He felt he couldn't tell anyone and did not do so for many years. You took away his ability to be the teenager he should have been - carefree, relaxed, happy. It is clear to me that you became utterly obsessed with him."