A judge has warned of the dangers of unregulated sperm donation after a couple’s “nightmare” court case with a man who claims to have fathered almost 200 children.
Robert Charles Albon, who advertises his services on social media under the name “Joe Donor”, claims to have fathered more than 180 children in countries as far away as Argentina and Australia.
Using his services turned into a “nightmare” for one couple after he took them to court demanding parental rights and to be named on the birth certificate.
Rejecting his demands, the judge took the unusual step of naming Albon, who was born in the United States but now lives in the North East of England.
His Honour Judge Jonathan Furness KC, sitting as a deputy high court judge, said it was in the “public interest” for Albon to be named, so “vulnerable women who are interested in such services should fully understand the risks of becoming involved with him”.
The court heard the same-sex couple intended Albon to have no future involvement until the child asked about their paternity and expressed a desire to see him.
In his written report, Mr Furness said Albon’s advertisements suggested he would “leave it up to the mother as to whether there should be any contact” and had only seen the child once for a photo, in a meeting that lasted no more than 10 minutes.
Mr Furness also rejected Albon’s allegations that he and the biological mother had secretly had sex in the back of a car, with the baby actually conceived by syringe injection.
The court also heard the proceedings had resulted in a breakdown in the couple’s relationship but both mothers continued wanting to be parents to the child, with care split between them.
Albon had asked for the non-biological mother to instead be called “aunty”, despite her having been present at the birth and being called “mother” by the child.
The judge also heard the court case had caused the biological mother’s mental health to suffer.
He said Albon’s actions were “wrapped up in a veneer of seeking to protect the welfare of (the child)” but in reality, he was a man who “seeks to control”.
“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,” he said.
The case, which was first reported by the BBC, was heard at Cardiff Family Court in late 2023, when Albon was 52, but the written judgement has only recently been published.
The judge suggested the donor had started the court proceedings to support his immigration position to stay in the UK – something Albon denied – but he carried on pursuing the case even after that matter was settled.
Mr Furness said: “Although it is right to acknowledge that he has continued to pursue his applications even after his immigration position had been settled I am not convinced that that is because of a genuine interest in the child.”
Instead, the judge said he suggested it was a “means to control” or “punish” the mothers.
Judge said this and a similar case “highlights the need for women to understand the risks which they expose themselves to in approaching unlicensed, unregulated, and unofficial sperm donors”.
Both women and the guardian supported naming Albon, with the non-biological mother saying the world needs to know the risks associated with unregulated sperm donation, calling the two-year court battle a “nightmare” and a “horror story”.
Neither woman opposed one annual email or card each year to the child from Albon under so-called “letterbox contact”, with the items kept for when the child is able to understand them.
Albon advertises his unregulated services on social media, with his Facebook page saying he can “help with a baby anywhere in the UK”.
At licenced premises, men are allowed to father children with no more than 10 families but there is no legal limit on unofficial services.
In an interview with the Sun in 2024, Albon said he had been a donor for around 13 or 14 years and had fathered around 180 children.
He said he offers to send or bring semen to women or have sex with them, describing his services as his “special hobby” and he is “always on call and willing to help”.