A 19-year-old man in Hamburg, Germany, has become the first in that country to go on trial for seeking to auction one of his kidneys on the Internet.

The youth is accused of seeking 100,000 marks (about $45,000 U.S.) for his kidney through an online auction house. No transaction ever took place.

Sale of organs is against the law in Germany, the U.S., and a number of other developed nations.

The accused contended that other people with access to his computer had made the auction offer. The judge ordered experts to examine the computer.

Other sources: AFP