A man who asserts he has fathered more than 180 children across the globe has been unsuccessful in a High Court application to be legally recognised as a parent on a baby's birth certificate. Robert Albon, who operates under the pseudonym 'Joe Donor' on social media platforms, has been providing unregulated sperm donation services since 2013, with offspring reported from Australia to Argentina.
Legal Battle Over Paternity Declaration
In October of last year, Mr Albon, originally from the United States but residing in the UK since 2020, petitioned the High Court in London to declare him the father of a child referred to as N, born in 2021. The court proceedings revealed that N's mother initiated a relationship with a cisgender woman in 2019. Approximately one year into this relationship, her partner began identifying as transgender and subsequently transitioned to male.
Donation Arrangements and Failed Pregnancy
The couple selected Mr Albon as a potential donor and arranged a meeting at their home. For a payment of £100, he provided them with sperm for artificial insemination. When this initial donation did not result in a pregnancy, Mr Albon supplied a second sample, for which he received a £150 Amazon gift card as compensation.
On the birth certificate, the mother's partner was registered as N's father, though the couple separated in 2023. In his ruling, Sir Andrew McFarlane noted that the false declaration to the registrar had been reported to the police, who decided not to pursue any action.
Previous Court Criticisms and Judicial Findings
In May of the previous year, the family court in Middlesbrough addressed arrangements for another child, known as CA, born in early 2023 after her mother contacted Mr Albon for donation services. Mr Justice Poole, presiding over that case, rejected Mr Albon's requests for increased contact or placement, describing him as lacking empathy and attempting to control others to achieve his objectives.
Mr Justice Poole further stated: 'The evidence before the court shows that Mr Albon will have sex with, or provide his sperm for artificial insemination, to just about anyone who asks.'
High Court Judgment and Public Policy Concerns
In his written judgment delivered on Tuesday, Sir Andrew McFarlane referenced Mr Justice Poole's highly critical assessment, which characterised Mr Albon as not being 'a man troubled by self-doubt' but rather one who leaves personal turmoil in the wake of his interventions in the lives of often vulnerable women.
Sir Andrew expressed concern that granting the declaration would leave the mother in a state of uncertainty, never knowing when Mr Albon might reappear, which would be unsettling for her. He emphasised: 'I, therefore, hold that it would be contrary to public policy for Mr Albon to be treated as the father of N by the court granting a declaration of paternity naming him.'
Judicial Condemnation of Behaviour
The judge also noted that based on findings from two previous judges, 'there is no indication that Mr Albon's behaviour is governed by any recognised moral principles.' He elaborated that, whether considered individually or collectively, it would be 'manifestly contrary to public policy to endorse Mr Albon's activities, and his particular engagement around the conception of N, by making a declaration of parentage in this case.'
Consequently, Mr Albon's application was dismissed 'on the ground that to grant it would manifestly be contrary to public policy.' Sir Andrew additionally confirmed that it was agreed the mother's former partner is not N's biological father.
Extreme Case and Legal Implications
Sir Andrew concluded that the circumstances of this case were 'extreme' and involved sperm donation on a 'wholly different scale.' Connie Atkinson, a family law partner at Kingsley Napley who advised the mother, commented: 'On behalf of our client, we are extremely pleased with the court's decision not to grant a declaration of parentage in Mr Albon's favour. Whilst he is the biological father, it would not have been appropriate for him to be able to assert himself as a legal parent or to exercise any of the rights that may flow from that.'
