An online sperm donor who fathered 15 children without telling their mothers he had an incurable genetic condition has been named by a High Court judge.
James MacDougall, 37, went ahead with the private donations despite knowing he suffered from Fragile X syndrome, an inheritable, incurable condition which can lead to low IQ and developmental delay.
Ms Justice Lieven said MacDougall placed an advert on a social media page for lesbian women seeking sperm donors – knowing he could not go through a clinic because of his condition.
The judge took the rare step of naming MacDougall in a written ruling published online in which she outlined her concerns after considering issues relating to children he fathered by three women.
At a hearing in Derby, the judge said the normal approach in family courts was to “anonymise” parents so the identity of children was protected.
But she said there were “strong grounds” for naming MacDougall to stop other women from using him as a sperm donor.
“I take into account the fundamental irresponsibility of James MacDougall acting as a sperm donor whilst knowing that he had Fragile X syndrome, an inheritable condition, without at the very least making it entirely clear to the mothers concerned the implications of Fragile X,” she said.
“James MacDougall knew that he could not be a sperm donor through a clinic because of his condition.”
Ms Justice Lieven said Mr MacDougall had told how he thought Fragile X was “not serious” and it was for “the mothers to do the research”.
But she added: “Even if James MacDougall does not understand the true implications of Fragile X, he does know it prevents him acting through a donor clinic.”
She said she had “no confidence” that he would not act as a sperm donor in the future and “no confidence” in him “fully explaining to any woman the true implications of his Fragile X syndrome”.
“There is therefore a very specific benefit in him being named in the hope that women will look him up on the internet and see this judgment,” she added.
“Publishing this judgment without anonymising James MacDougall raises the prospects of wider dissemination of the huge impact using James MacDougall as a sperm donor has had on these mothers.”
Ms Justice Lieven said Fragile X syndrome is an inheritable genetic condition which causes a “range of developmental problems including learning difficulties and cognitive impairment”.
The judge said in the past four years Mr MacDougall has acted as a sperm donor, through private arrangements, in a “large number” of cases.
He told her he is the father of 15 children.
The judge said four of those children are concerned in the case she has overseen.
MacDougall said he first acted as a sperm donor to help a friend.
Ms Justice Lieven said she had dealt with a number of legal issues relating to the children at the centre of the case.
She indicated the litigation was ongoing.
Additional reporting by Press Association
