Women desperate to become parents are being harassed for sex and offered cheap illegal sperm samples online, the UK's fertility regulator has warned, as a BBC investigation revealed a prolific donor who sent his product through the post with a carton of frozen tomato passata.
The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) said women were at risk of 'exploitation by predatory donors', with men using Facebook groups of up to 40,000 members to connect with potential recipients. The BBC Wales investigation paid £100 in cash for a next-day delivery from a man calling himself Joe Donor. He did not ask for verification or offer any health checks. The sample arrived in a box with a frozen carton of tomato passata acting as an ice block. A licensed clinic tested it four hours after receipt and found all sperm cells were dead.
“BBC investigation found illegal sperm samples sold online as UK mulls social media ban for under-16s”
The donor, named publicly by a family court judge as Robert Albon after a case in Cardiff, questioned how the BBC had stored and transported the sample. He said enough sperm for fertilisation usually did survive his delivery process and he had 'many successful pregnancies' this way. Albon claims to have 180 children around the world conceived through sex and artificial insemination. One woman in a donor group warned she had received a donation from a man in north Wales who she later found out was a convicted sex offender. Many men on the platforms continually pushed for sex, calling it the 'cheapest and most effective option'.
The investigation comes as the government considers banning under-16s from social media. The consultation, opened in early March, ended on May 27, with a response promised this summer. Science and Tech Secretary Liz Kendall told the Sunday Mirror that blocking under-16s is 'definitely on the table', with nine in 10 parents telling the consultation they wanted it to happen. She said: 'We haven't yet made up our mind, but I think it's quite clear that something drastic has to happen.' More than 100,000 people responded, including around 40,000 parents.
However, not every platform may be banned. The Sun on Sunday reported that the YouTube Kids app would not be blocked under the plans, bringing the UK into line with Australia's ban, which exempts YouTube Kids, Google Classroom, Facebook Messenger, Pinterest, Discord, Steam and WhatsApp. Scotland's children's commissioner Nicola Killean wrote to the consultation saying the evidence on bans so far is 'limited, mixed, and still emerging'. She added: 'Blanket restrictions can risk shifting responsibility away from platforms and onto children.' An academic leading research into Australia's ban, Professor Kathy Mode, urged the UK government to wait for stronger evidence.