Man who set up camera to catch a ghost instead catches girlfriend's affair with his 16-year-old son
An Australian father who rigged up a video camera in his kitchen to capture paranormal activity instead caught his girlfriend canoodling with his 16-year-old son.
By Ilya Gridneff
8:54AM BST 28 May 2013
The Tasmanian Supreme Court heard that the father had set up a camera to capture ghosts he believed were haunting his house.
One day he forgot to turn it off and when he later reviewed the footage, he saw his son and the 28-year-old Tasmanian woman - who cannot be named for legal reasons - kissing and cuddling.
His girlfriend of 11 years initially denied any relationship, but his son confessed that they had sex on multiple occasions.
The woman later pleaded guilty to sex with the minor and today was sentenced to at least six months in jail.
The court heard the illicit affair began last year after a discussion about driving lessons. It was discovered in October, when the boy was moved to live with his grandparents.
Justice David Porter said the woman had known the minor since he was nine and was effectively his stepmother, although he had begun living with her only in 2012.
"You did that knowing full well it was unlawful," the judge said. "You have caused much disruption to this young man's life."
The woman was sentenced to a year in jail with a six months suspended sentence on condition of good behaviour. Visibly shaken, she cried as she was led from the dock.
Tasmania, the island state south of Australia's mainland, has the legal age of consent at 17 years old.
