Man admits fathering 22 children with women he met on Facebook after donating his sperm and handing it over at a roadside near his home

Anthony Fletcher, from the Glasgow area, claims to have donated to 50 women
The donor invites woman desperate for a baby to meet him at a roadside
The 39-year-old university graduate does not charge women for his sperm

Published: 11:09 BST, 16 April 2018 | Updated: 11:36 BST, 19 April 2018

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A man has confessed to fathering 22 children after advertising his sperm on Facebook.

He invites woman who are desperate for a baby to meet him at a roadside by his home near Glasgow where he hands over his 'donation' in a container for free.

The donor, using the pseudonym Anthony Fletcher, claims to have donated to more than 50 women who have travelled from across the UK in a bid to have a baby.

Mr Fletcher does not charge women for his sperm, and says he was inspired to donate five years ago to help those who could not have a family of their own.

He describes himself as a 39-year-old university graduate of average height with blue eyes and brown hair.

Health experts have warned that his activities are 'incredibly dangerous'. Pictured is one of his adverts on Facebook

Mr Fletcher does not charge women for his sperm, and says he was inspired to donate five years ago to help those who could not have a family of their own (file photo)

But health experts have warned that his activities are 'incredibly dangerous'.

Initially, Mr Fletcher considered donating through a clinic. However, the right of any child produced to know their natural father's identity when they turn 18 put him off.

Instead, he decided to advertise his sperm on Facebook.

Mr Fletcher posted on Facebook: 'I'm an active and experienced sperm donor based a few miles from Glasgow.

'I'm still available to help more women get pregnant. I'm happy to donate to single women, same-sex couples and women in heterosexual relationships.

'Be sure to let me know your rough location, your age, your relationship status, and the donation method you're looking for. I do NOT charge for donations.'

Dr Hana Visnova, a specialist in reproductive health and medical director at IVF Cube in Czech Republic, has warned of the dangers of using donated sperm.

She said: 'People who are desperate for children but who are having difficulties and aren't eligible for NHS care can become desperate.

'But finding a donor online, knowing nothing about them and having no knowledge of their health or background, is incredibly dangerous. You're not only putting yourself at risk, but also your potential offspring.

'Clinics in the UK and abroad are tightly regulated to ensure the highest standards are met.

'We are getting an increasing number of patients from the UK frustrated with NHS options and who cannot afford private treatment at home.'

Mr Fletcher told MailOnline: 'Informal sperm donation is legal in the UK, and it has been incredibly frustrating for people in the Facebook donation community to see wildly inaccurate claims being made in the media about the legal position.

'Large numbers of healthy children are born every year as a result of informal, private arrangements between sperm donors and recipients.

'Those arrangements are legal, and for the most part they are also safe.

'Nobody is suggesting there are no risks at all, but the risks that do exist are roughly similar to the risks associated with finding a sexual partner from a dating website, which is something that millions of people have done at some point in their lives.

'The extreme precautions that clinics take are admirable in some ways, but they also directly contribute to the scarcity and expensiveness of available donor sperm, and leave many women with no option but to seek a private arrangement.'