A British judge has warned of the dangers of unregulated sperm donation, after a man claiming to have fathered more than 180 children tried to take a couple to court to gain parental rights over their child.
US-born Robert Charles Albon, who calls himself Joe Donor and now lives in England, claims to have fathered children from China to Australia after advertising online, but using him as a donor turned into a nightmare for one couple.
It is extremely rare for a parent in a family court case about children to be publicly identified but the family court judge said it was in the public interest in naming Albon, reports the BBC.
Jonathan Furness KC said he wanted to protect women from the possible consequences of unregulated sperm donorship and from using Albon.
The baby in this case was conceived by syringe injection to a same-sex couple, although Albon claimed to have had secret sex with the biological mother in the back of a car – a claim rejected by the judge.
Cardiff Family Court heard that Albon, who is in his 50s, was a “stranger” to the child and had only met them for 10 minutes when a few weeks old for a “one-off” photo.
Albon applied to the court for parental responsibility, to be named on the birth certificate and changes to the child’s name.
He wanted the child’s non-biological mother to be called “auntie” rather than mother, despite the fact she had acted as a parent from birth.
Both mothers said the stress from the legal proceedings – which took more than two years – was a factor in the breakdown of their relationship.
The court heard the biological mother suffered from anxiety, depression and suicidal thoughts made worse by the case.
The judgment, which was made in 2023, but only just published, said Albon claimed he wanted to “protect the welfare” of the child when he was actually “wholly self-centred”.
The court found Albon, who is originally from the United States but has been living in north-east England, started the family proceedings to support his immigration position to stay in the UK.
“Women and children appear to be almost a commodity to him as he sets about increasing the number of his children around the globe – China, USA, Argentina, Australia and UK, to name just some of the countries where he has fathered children,” said the judge.
The judge found “no positive welfare benefit in changing the child’s name" and that direct contact between Albon and the child would not be in the child’s best interests.
Albon advertises on social media accounts and donates through various methods including artificial insemination and more natural methods like sexual intercourse.
The way he was giving sperm was unregulated as it was not through a licensed clinic, with no limits on the number of children, mandatory health checks or protection from legal rights as a parent.
UK regulations say sperm from a single donor used through licensed clinics may only be used to create a maximum of 10 families.
Albon has claimed he wanted to help create life and it was insulting when people said he only did it for sex. He said he did not make any money from it and was often lucky to break even on travel expenses.
BBC article – Judge’s sperm donor warning over man who ‘fathered 180 children’ (Open access)
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