An American woman convinced her former husband that she had given birth to two children, sent him photos and updates, and received about £30,000 from him in what a High Court judge called an “elaborate campaign of deceit”.
The man, identified as John in court documents, believed he had fathered the children after his partner, Jane, claimed she was pregnant twice.
During the first pregnancy, John was arrested after an argument with Jane around the time she was due to give birth. While he was in custody, she told his family that the baby had arrived and sent them photos and an ultrasound image.
After his release, Jane claimed the child was staying with a family member and that social workers had stopped John from seeing the baby.
She later claimed to have given birth to a second child and told John the babies had been sold for £500. Despite their separation, he continued sending her money to support the children.
John eventually became concerned and applied to the High Court to locate the children and seek parental responsibility.
Mrs Justice Judd ruled that it was most likely the children never existed. The court heard Jane was in her 50s, menopausal and could not have given birth.
Bank records also showed she visited a tanning shop on the day she claimed to have delivered a baby, while a supposed recording of a crying baby sent to John’s mother was actually a YouTube video playing in the background.
The judge said the deception may have been driven by revenge over alleged abuse, but fraud could also have been a motive because Jane received a “considerable amount of money” from John.
