The agency ordered Arsenault to shut down the renegade semen-distribution operation until he demonstrated compliance. Arsenault, on the other hand, contends that as a sole donor he should not have to comply with laws established for sperm banks that operate as businesses.
The dispute lingered on for over a year before CBS San Francisco broke the story for the national media this week. Arsenault says he continues to donate sperm while he waits for his hearing.
Arsenault certainly seems to be meeting a demand. He told CBS he has received some 20,000 email inquiries and he has fathered 14 children since his first sperm donation to a teacher in 2004.
The FDA estimated that Arsenault dealt out 328 semen donations to 46 recipients between 2006 and 2010.
To market the free sperm donations, Arsenault started the Web site TrentDonor.org, where he displays a wealth of personal information ranging from his ethnic background and personal identification documents to medical reports displaying his sperm count and test results for sexually transmitted diseases.
On a page titled "Hospital photos sent by recipients," Arsenault displays 15 images of babies presumably fathered with his assistance.
