Woman Jailed for Incestuous Relationship With Father
An Oregon woman who had at least two children with her biological father was found guilty of felony incest and sentenced to jail this week, even though the pair reportedly had a consensual relationship.
According to the Register Guard, 25-year-old Chalena Moody did not meet her father Eric Lee Gates, 49, until she was an adult. (He apparently spent most of her childhood in and out of prison and was not a custodial parent.)
Cops reportedly began investigating when an elderly woman called police alleging elder abuse. Although the investigation yielded no charges, Moody and Gates apparently held themselves out as a couple and admitted to having at least two children together.
Under Oregon law, a person commits the felony crime of incest when "the person marries or engages in sexual intercourse or deviate sexual intercourse with a person whom the person knows to be related to the person, either legitimately or illegitimately, as an ancestor, descendant or brother or sister of either the whole or half blood."
Even so, a local detective tells the Register Guard he "can recall only one or two incest cases in the last 20 or 30 years in Springfield in which charges were pursued."
Moody was granted time served and won't have to spend any additional time in jail. According to the AP, a condition of her parole requires her to stay away from Gates, who is currently serving time for violating a similar parole condition.
