Ian Ward is a fictional character on The Young and the Restless. He was believed to be the biological father of Dylan McAvoy with Nikki Newman. Ian Ward was a charismatic cult leader who seduced Nikki. Nikki fled from the commune and gave birth in a nunnery. She gave up the child for adoption to Penny McAvoy. Ian's claims of being Dylan's father were disproven when his former wife, Willah, revealed that he is sterile and cannot father children.