Baby ban on US child support shirker

Mr Oakley said the ruling overlooked significant factors

The highest court in the US state of Wisconsin has upheld a ban preventing a man who owes thousands of dollars in child support from having any more children.

The exceptional circumstances outlined show an intentional unwillingness to pay child support

Wisconsin Supreme Court

The court ruled that David Oakley, a father of nine, would be imprisoned if he had another child, unless he was able to prove that he would pay support for both that child and his current offspring.

Mr Oakley has already been sentenced to three years in jail and five years' probation for failing to pay $25,000 in support payments.

The ban on Mr Oakley procreating was first upheld by the Wisconsin Supreme Court in July but Mr Oakley appealed the decision, claiming that mitigating factors had been overlooked.

Mr Oakley has four sons and five daughters, born to four women.

Unwilling

In its ruling, the court was keen to emphasize that the case was not about a person's inability to pay child support, but rather Mr Oakley's refusal to do so.

"The exceptional circumstances outlined show an intentional unwillingness to pay child support," read the ruling.

"The exceptional circumstances include, among other things, that Oakley was in arrears in support of his nine children in excess of $25,000."