Allegations that a biological male inmate, identifying as transgender and housed in Minnesota’s sole women’s prison, hoarded bottles of semen with the purported aim of impregnating female inmates have ignited a fierce debate over state policies on prisoner placement. The inmate, Sean Windingland, 35, has since been transferred back to a men’s facility.
First reported by Alpha News, Windingland was incarcerated at the Minnesota Correctional Facility-Shakopee following the 2023 implementation of a state law allowing prisoners to be housed based on their gender identity rather than biological sex.
He is serving a 36-year sentence for the sexual assault of two six-year-old relatives and the online distribution of the abuse.
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The accusations came to light through a whistleblower, fellow Shakopee inmate Jamie Ali, in an interview with Alpha News. Ali alleged that prison staff discovered “bottles filled with semen” in Windingland’s cell. “He was storing it to, I guess, get IPs (Imprisoned Persons) pregnant…or to give to them so they could then therefore try to impregnate [their self],” Ali claimed.
However, a Minnesota Department of Corrections (DOC) spokesperson, Aaron Swanum, told Alpha News that the allegation regarding the semen stockpile was “unsubstantiated.”
Windingland was reportedly transferred back to the men’s Stillwater prison, although the precise reasons and timing of the transfer have not been officially detailed. His incarceration stemmed from molesting his 6-year-old twin daughters, according to Ali.
The 2023 Minnesota policy allowing housing by gender identity stemmed from a lawsuit settlement earlier that year with a transgender inmate. The policy reportedly involves an assessment by behavioral health and medical staff based on multiple factors.
Inmate Jamie Ali questioned the initial decision to place Windingland, given his conviction for sexually abusing children, in a women’s facility. “How in the hell would that have been appropriate to put him in an all-women’s prison?” she stated to Alpha News. “Somebody make it make sense.”
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Ali, a rape survivor, also described the significant psychological distress she and reportedly other female inmates experienced due to the presence of biological males. “There’s been many nights that I don’t go to meals. I stay in my room,” she said, citing ongoing fear and anxiety.
She specifically mentioned another transgender inmate, Bradley Sirvio (who goes by Aurora), serving a life sentence for murder. Ali alleged that Sirvio, housed in a unit across from her, has openly discussed sexually explicit encounters with female inmates. In response to these claims, DOC spokesperson Aaron Swanum stated that Sirvio has “no discipline related to inappropriate behaviour” at Shakopee, adding that further details would require a records request.
Ali has expressed her intention to pursue legal action regarding the housing policy upon her release.
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The situation has intensified the ongoing debate in Minnesota regarding the 2023 law. Reports indicate that legislation (HF435) was proposed in early 2025 to mandate that inmates at MCF-Shakopee be “born as female, as determined by genetics and reproductive system,” though the bill was reportedly laid over for possible inclusion in a future omnibus bill.
Minnesota is not alone in navigating such policies and their consequences. Similar laws in other states have also led to legal challenges.
For instance, a lawsuit was reportedly filed in Washington State in late 2023 after a female inmate was allegedly compelled to share a cell with a 6-foot-4 biological male convicted of pedophilia.
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