See more Daily Mail on Google - save us as a Preferred SourceBy PERKIN AMALARAJ, FOREIGN NEWS REPORTER Published: 15:57 BST, 31 August 2026 | Updated: 16:01 BST, 31 August 2026
A Dutch sperm donor has admitted to fathering at least 199 children across Europe, after repeatedly lying to parents about the true number. The 43-year-old donor, known only as Simon, from the Groningen region in the north of the Netherlands, disclosed the total in a letter sent to parents on August 29.Simon said 172 children had been born in the Netherlands using his sperm, with another 11 in Belgium, 15 in Germany and one in another European country.One further woman is currently pregnant, according to his account.Simon's newly disclosed figure is significantly higher than the 121 children previously known to have been conceived using his donations.He sent the statement late on Saturday evening through a group chat containing more than 35 parents, according to Dutch current affairs programme Nieuwsuur, which obtained the letter.At least one mother contacted by the broadcaster had not received the message and was unaware of the new total.Simon admitted that he had not always been open with parents about the scale of his donations. The 43-year-old donor, known only as Simon (pictured), from the Groningen region in the north of the Netherlands, disclosed the total in a letter sent to parents on August 29He wrote: 'As a result, parents were given an incomplete or distorted picture.'I believed I was doing the right thing and helping people. The appreciation and seeing their intense happiness were my only motivation.'I now know that I have seriously let you down.'Simon added: 'I should have added up the donations much earlier, including for myself.'The total turns out to be higher than I myself had thought, hoped or wanted.'The donor has been providing sperm for years and has used several names, including Jesse, Johan, Daan, Sam and Maarten.He donated through several sperm banks but mainly contacted prospective parents online and arranged donations outside fertility clinics.Several mothers had previously accused Simon of lying about how many children he had fathered and said they wanted him to stop donating.They also alleged that he had sent sexually suggestive messages.The Dutch Ministry of Health reportedly knew as early as August 2017 that Simon was a prolific donor but took no action at the time.Two years later, he was appointed to a committee evaluating Dutch donor legislation on behalf of the government.Belgium's Federal Agency for Medicines and Health Products has now opened an investigation to establish whether Simon donated through Belgian fertility clinics or privately.Simon said he has stopped all forms of sperm donation.He also said he intends to seek professional help so he can deal with the situation in future 'in a responsible and proper way, in the interests of the children'. The disclosure comes after fellow Dutch sperm donor Jonathan Jacob Meijer became notorious for fathering hundreds of children around the world through donations to clinics, sperm banks and private recipients. Jonathan Jacob Meijer (pictured) is thought to have fathered hundreds of children across the globeMr Meijer was estimated to have fathered at least 550 children and potentially more than 1,000 before a Dutch court banned him in 2023 from donating sperm to any new recipients.The court in The Hague also ordered him not to advertise his services or contact prospective parents seeking sperm donations and required sperm banks to destroy stored samples except where they were being retained for existing families wanting a biological sibling.His case later became the subject of the Netflix documentary series The Man with 1000 Kids.
