Sperm donor ruled liable

HARRISBURG, Pa. – Men who donate sperm for artificial insemination can be liable for child support, a court has ruled.

The Pennsylvania Superior Court panel said that since a sperm donor whose semen produced two children for a lesbian couple subsequently involved himself in the family and gave them money, he had assumed some responsibility for their support. The man died while the case was pending.

Legal experts said the ruling sets a precedent in making more than two people responsible for a child.

Senior Judge John T.K. Kelly wrote that Carl Frampton had held himself out as a stepparent to the children by being present at the birth of one of them, contributing $13,000 to the family over four years.

“While these contributions have been voluntary, they evidence a settled intention to demonstrate parental involvement far beyond merely biological,” Kelly wrote.