A man fathered 15 children after advertising his sperm on social media despite having an inheritable condition, a court has heard.
James MacDougall has a genetic condition which means his children could have learning difficulties.
At the court hearing last week, he was told he would not be able to contact three of his children.
A judge allowed him to be identified to protect other people planning to use private sperm donors.
‘Complex character’
During the hearing it was revealed that he has Fragile X syndrome – an inherited condition that cannot be cured.
Despite knowing this, he still advertised his sperm for use by lesbian couples on social media.
In a written judgement, presiding judge Mrs Justice Lieven said he showed “fundamental irresponsibility” by acting as a sperm donor, adding he “took advantage” of the women’s desire to have children.
She described him as a “complex character” who suffered from learning difficulties and was on the autistic spectrum.
The court reviewed Mr MacDougall’s application to have contact with the four children, who are cared for by three mothers.
He regularly met with the first child – named as R – between October 2019 and March 2020, despite signing an agreement prior to donating sperm that he would not have contact.
However, Justice Lieven said the three-page document was in highly legalistic language which would have been “difficult to read even for a lawyer”.
Within the document he did admit to having Fragile X syndrome but there was no explanation of what it meant.
The 25-year-old mother, named as SW, struggled to read and said she did not look at all of the agreement.
‘Loses control’
Two weeks after R was born, Mr MacDougall was asked if he wanted to meet his child. He then had regular contact with R, though SW deliberately tried to minimise his access.
Referring to an incident where Mr MacDougall was arrested in June 2020, Justice Lieven said: “He has a general demeanour as someone who gets very frustrated and loses control when he does not get what he wants.”
She said he was once prosecuted for harassment, calling SW’s partner 77 times in December 2020.
Using Mr MacDougall’s sperm, SW later had a second child, referred to at the hearing as P.
Justice Lieven voiced concerns with SW’s evidence, stating she lied about receiving about £7,000 from Mr MacDougall.
However, she refused his application, listing concerns over the welfare of SW, R, and P.
She said that R, now three, was “still not verbal and is behaviourally challenging”.
The second mother, referred to as EG, was said to be “more capable” of dealing with Mr MacDougall.
She was clear throughout that she did not want the sperm donor to have any contact with her child, known as N.
Due to the fraught relationship between Mr MacDougall and the 26-year-old, Justice Lieven said she had “no desire” for him to be involved, refusing his application.
He also applied for a change of conditions to an existing contact order with the fourth child.
MacDougall has had contact with the child, known as K, who recognised him as their father.
The court adjourned this hearing to a later date.
Public benefit
Concluding the report, Justice Lieven took the unusual step of allowing Mr MacDougall to be named.
She said she had “no confidence” he had stopped donating sperm or that he would fully explain his condition to any prospective mothers.
Therefore, she allowed him to be named in the public interest, as a “consequence of the decisions he has made”.
She said there was “a very specific benefit in him being named in the hope that women will look him up on the internet and see this judgment”.
Source: BBC
