This is kind of a big deal and perhaps a fatal wound to the sperm donation industry.
A man who provided sperm to a lesbian couple after responding to an online advert has been declared the legal father of the child born to one of the women and told he must pay child support by a Kansas judge on Wednesday.
William Marotta, of Topeka, Kansas, had argued that he had waived his parental rights and did not intend to be a father to the child, who is now four-years-old.
He said he signed a contract waiving his parental rights and responsibilities after responding to an advert placed by Jennifer Schreiner and her partner at the time, Angela Bauer, on Craigslist seeking a sperm donor.
But this claim was rejected by Shawnee County District Court Judge Mary Mattivi, who said the parties did not involve a licensed physician in the artificial insemination process and thus Mr Marotta didn’t qualify as a sperm donor, The Topeka Capital-Journal reported.
No more scot-free fatherhood.
