A retired US fertility doctor from may have used his own sperm to inseminate patients 50 times.
The alleged malpractice came to light when a woman (who wishes to remain anonymous) discovered she had eight unknown siblings during a commercial DNA test.
The test revealed that her biological father was her mother's Indiana fertility doctor, Donald Cline.
According to documents from Marion County Court, Cline told his patients that he was inseminating them with "fresh sperm" from a medical student or resident.
"It was unethical, what he did. He was telling his patients one thing and doing another," the woman told CNN.
The Cline case escalated when another woman, Kristy Killion tried to track down her biological father. She knew that her parents had been treated at Cline's fertility clinic, but when she got in touch she was told that their paperwork had been shredded.
Killion then listed herself on a website that connects the children of sperm donors. After connecting with Jacoba Ballard, a half-sister, the two women talked and took DNA tests. It was at this stage that they discovered a further seven siblings (making nine in total).
They were very suspicions because there were only supposed to be three successful pregnancies using the same sperm donor. Further investigations led the siblings to Doug Cline, Dr Cline's son. There was a genetic link.
After contacting Doug Cline via Facebook, he told the women that his father had admitted to donating sperm to different laboratories over the years. But the sisters didn't believe that story added up. Wanting to know more they arranged a face-to-face meeting with Dr Cline.
According to court documents, Cline met with Killion, Ballard and four other siblings. During the meeting confessed to inseminating patients with his own sperm. He also allegedly admitted that he had used his own sperm about 50 times.
The court documents also say that Cline felt pressured into using his own sperm because he didn't always have access to fresh sperm at his clinic. Although he allegedly admitted to doing wrong, Cline felt that he was helping his patients because they really wanted a baby.
The case has become more complex because Cline is now denying any wrongdoing. However, DNA tests clearly show that he is the biological father of Killion and Ballard.
Steve Boreman is a California-based lawyer who teaches ethics to people in the medical profession. "There's clearly an ethical concern or breach," he says of the Cline case.
But regardless of ethics, there are other legal ramifications. Considering that Cline "breached his overall duty to be honest and upright," it could be argued that "his criminal or quasicriminal act of deceit" would make him liable child support, Boreman explained.
"The current siblings don't have an obligation to one another - except if there's an uncontested will, things would get messy."
Cline has pleaded not guilty to two charges of obstruction of justice. He faces up to five years jail time if convicted.