A judge has warned women after a sperm donor who has fathered more than 180 children sued a couple for parental rights, leaving a mother suicidal.
Robert Charles Albon, who calls himself Joe Donor online, continues to advertise himself as a global sperm donor through social media while criticising mainstream donation clinics.
He boasts of his ‘success stories’ online by posting photographs of children who he proudly says have ‘blonde hair and blue eyes’.
But Albon’s seemingly altruistic act turned into a ‘horror story’ for one same-sex couple after he lied to a judge by claiming he had had sex with the biological mother, and sued for rights over the child.
He attempted to change the child’s name and demanded their other mother be referred to as ‘auntie’, despite both women acting as parents from birth.
Cardiff Family Court heard that the child had been conceived via syringe, with Judge Jonathan Furness KC dismissing Albon’s claims he had secretly had sex with the biological mother in the back of a car.
The judge was told Albon, who is in his fifties, was a total stranger to the child, and had only met them for ten minutes when they were a few weeks old.
In the newly published ruling from the 2023 case, Judge Furness issued a warning to all women considering sperm donation and in a rare departure from standard practice, ruled it was in the public interest for Albon to be named.
Robert Charles Albon, who calls himself Joe Donor online, advertises himself as a global sperm donor through social media – a judge has issued a warning to other women after he sued a lesbian couple for parental rights in a bid to sure up his immigration status
Albon claims to have met 60 of his more than 180 children, and says online the choice for contact lies with his childrens’ mothers
He said Albon created a ‘veneer’ by saying he wanted to ‘protect the welfare’ of the child, but that he was actually ‘wholly self-centred’.
‘In reality he is a man who seeks to control,’ said Judge Furness, adding that ‘women and children appear to be almost a commodity to him’.
‘He is a man who, in my judgment, once he believes that he is right, cannot even contemplate an alternative view,’ the judge continued.
‘The impression is of a man who has a complete absence of sensitivity or empathy, is wholly self-centred and will stop at nothing to obtain what he wants.’
Rejecting his bid, the judge also ruled Albon, who is originally from the US but lives in northeast England, started the family court proceedings in an effort to support his immigration status.
The judge said there was a risk Albon would be arrested if he returned to the US due to outstanding ‘periodical payments’ – usually related to debts, divorce payments or personal injury.
He added women should ‘fully understand the risks of becoming involved with him’.
The court heard that one of the mother’s mental health had deteriorated as a result of the court action, leaving her suicidal, and that it had contributed to the breakdown of the couple’s relationship.
Albon posing with some of the equipment that he uses to ship his sperm donations across to America
Albon claims to have been helping couples conceive for the last 13 years and has spoken to the media about his ‘lonely’ life (Pictured: Albon with a woman he helped conceive)
It is not the first time Albon has courted controversy – he has also came in for criticism for social media posts in which he claims he is ‘popular with black women because most get a blonde, blue-eyed child’.
And he has repeatedly slammed sperm donation clinics online, making claims about doctors allegedly ‘swapping’ their own sperm for that of the donor and ‘destroying’ embryos.
In a post from 2022, Albon wrote: ‘I cost the clinics millions every year, and of course the doctors cannot accidentally inseminate as many patients anymore either haha which is why they are so upset and carry out their media campaign against me.
‘But hey, you can waste your time with clinics and their cr*p newspaper stories, or you could just get pregnant right now easily no need to do any counselling or have a weirdo in a lab coat look at your hoohaw or get a second mortgage on your house, just send me a pm, and soon your baby will be on the way.’
In a separate post, he added: ‘Always choose a clinic with handsome doctors, chances are they will substitute their sperm.’
Unlike registered donation banks, individuals such as Albon are unregulated and typically operate without protections offered by official donation programmes such as health checks and a limit on the number of children that can be fathered by one individual.
Registered sperm banks typically allow a single donor to conceive for just ten families.
Albon claims to have been helping couples conceive for the last 13 years and has spoken to the media about his ‘lonely’ life.
Albon has been dubbed ‘Britain’s most prolific dad’ after spending the last 13 years helping couples have babies
A 12-week ultrasound scan of one of Albon’s children – many of whom he photographs and posts online
He has previously complained that he can’t find love because women he dates can’t accept his ‘hobby’ of donating sperm around the world.
He told the Mail in 2023: ‘I don’t have a partner at the moment. I am hoping I will, one day, meet that special someone who can accept me for who I am – someone who wants to have children and can accept my scores of children I already have.’
Albon admitted to dating some of the women he has helped have children, and was even engaged to one woman he donated to in 2021.
However, the relationship with Ellie Ellison came to an end soon after.
The sperm donor was adamant he fathers so many children to help women.
‘It’s worth it every time I see the joy when another mini me is born,’ he said. ‘I am focused on the happiness of the women I have helped and their children.’
Albon, who is also a father to his own children, claims to have fathered others in countries including the UK, US, Australia, Argentina and China.
MailOnline has contacted Albon for comment.
For free help and support, call the Samaritans on 116 123 or go to samaritans.org
