A judge has cautioned women against using unregulated sperm donors after an American man, Robert Charles Albon, attempted to claim parental rights over a child to strengthen his bid for British residency, as reported by The Times.
Jonathan Furness KC, sitting in Cardiff family court, took the unusual step of publicly identifying Albon, who operates under the name “Joe Donor,” and urged women to avoid him and other unregulated donors.
Albon, 53, turned a married lesbian couple’s path to parenthood into a “nightmare and horror story” when he pursued legal action to be named on the child’s birth certificate, change the child’s name, and diminish the parental role of the non-biological mother, suggesting she should be referred to as “aunt”.
The lengthy legal battle, which lasted over two years, contributed to the breakdown of the couple’s relationship. The biological mother suffered from anxiety, depression, and suicidal thoughts, exacerbated by the proceedings.
The court ultimately denied Albon’s bid for parental responsibility, ruling that his actions were “wholly self-centred” and primarily aimed at bolstering his immigration case—an accusation he denied.
During the case, Albon falsely claimed he conceived the child through sexual intercourse in a car, but the judge determined artificial insemination had been used. His donations, made outside licensed fertility clinics, circumvented UK regulations, which cap sperm donations from a single donor at ten families and require health screenings and legal safeguards.
Furness highlighted the risks posed by unregulated donors, warning that Albon misled women by advertising on Facebook under the pretense that they could decide his involvement in the child’s life – only to later pursue legal claims for contact, parentage, and name changes.
The court ruled there was “no positive welfare benefit” in altering the child’s name and that direct contact with Albon was not in the child’s best interests. However, the mothers agreed to “letterbox contact,” allowing Albon to send an annual card or email to be stored until the child is old enough to understand its origin.
The judge further described Albon as a controlling figure who views women and children as commodities, noting his claims of fathering children across multiple countries, including the UK, US, China, Argentina, and Australia.
The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority reiterated the importance of using licensed clinics for sperm donation to ensure safety and protect parental rights.
