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A prolific unregulated donor is still attempting to sell his sperm despite warnings from two family court judges, a Guardian investigation has found.
Robert Albon, who calls himself “Joe Donor”, has appealed to the courts to gain access to at least four of his biological children against their mothers’ wishes. In a rare move, a judge named him in 2023 to warn women of the risks of using his services, which he promotes on social media.
Albon, who has appeared on This Morning and in a Channel 4 documentary, claims to have fathered 180 children around the world, including the US – his home country – Australia, South America and the UK.
In three family court cases involving four children with different mothers in England and Wales, Albon has sought a number of different court orders allowing him access to the children – including gaining custody of one and changing another’s name. This is despite previously stating: “Moms I help can choose no contact and I respect that.”
In most cases it was in firm opposition to their mothers’ wishes, with a former partner of one of the women describing his involvement as “a nightmare and a horror story”, and another saying she had been left “broken” and suicidal by her interactions with him.
In communications with the 54-year-old, the Guardian posed as a woman seeking a sperm donation. Albon said he would travel to Leeds for sex with the woman, costing £20 to cover travel, or he could also “ship the sample” at a cost of £100. He added: “Is it possible to see a picture?”
Unregulated donations are not subject to the same legal protections as those organised by an accredited clinic, where donors are kept on an anonymous register that is only accessible to the child when they reach 18.
In 2023, Albon took a same-sex couple to court in Cardiff to try to get his name put on the birth certificate of a child born in 2021 after impregnation with a syringe of his sperm. He also sought parental responsibility, court-ordered time with the child, including building up to overnight stays, and to be able to change the child’s name to a first name of his choosing and his last name – something the judge described as “frankly absurd” and said was “motivated by ownership and perceived, and rather old-fashioned, entitlement”.
He made the application despite being “a stranger” to the child, who he had met for a photo two years earlier in a “one-off”, 10-minute meeting, the court was told.