A man had a sexual relationship with a daughter who had grown up believing he was dead, a court has heard.
After the teenager discovered her biological dad was in fact still alive she set about finding him, which she eventually did through social media, as reported by Wales Online.
Daughter was Unaware Her Father was Alive Until She was a Teen
The pair later met, and they subsequently began a consensual sexual relationship when the female was an adult. A judge at Swansea Crown Court told the defendant - who cannot be named to protect the identity of the victim - that what he had done had been "illegal, wholly immoral, and exploitative."
Tom Scapens, prosecuting, said the female in the case had been unaware her father was alive until she was a teenager, believing he had died in violent circumstances. When she learned the truth she set about finding her dad, and with the help of social media was eventually successful.
The court heard the pair began spending time together and the relationship later became sexual - after the female was over 18 - with intercourse usually happening after they had both been drinking alcohol.
Father, Daughter Continued Incestous Relationship Even After Former's Arrest
The prosecutor said the police became involved after the woman made disclosures about what was happening to a person in a pub. The defendant was arrested, questioned, and released on bail on condition that he not contact his daughter. However, the female later began staying in the defendant's flat in Carmarthenshire and the sexual relationship resumed.
Scapens said though the female had initially supported the prosecution she had subsequently written a withdrawn statement saying she loved her father and wanted a "normal" relationship with him, blaming the "genetic attraction" between them for what happened.
The defendant, who is now in his 50s, had previously pleaded guilty to having sex with an adult relative when he appeared in a virtual sentencing hearing. Jon Tarrant, defendant's attorney, said his client's remorse was palpable and he "very much understands what has gone wrong here."
Judge: 'You Should Have Stopped This from Happening'
Judge Paul Thomas KC said the prosecution in the case accepted the sexual activity between the defendant and his daughter had been consensual but he described what the defendant did as "illegal, wholly immoral, and exploitative". He told him he had known of his daughter's vulnerabilities, adding: "You were the dominant figure - you should have stopped this from happening."
The judge noted the defendant had been held on remand in prison since October last year and had therefore almost served the equivalent of a five-month prison sentence. The defendant was sentenced to a three-year community order and must complete the Maps for Change sex offenders course in addition to a rehabilitation programme.
