An Oklahoma woman who married two of her children has been sentenced to two years in prison after pleading guilty to incest, officials said.
Patricia Ann Spann, 45, will also be forced to register as a sex offender and spend eight years on probation for marrying her 26-year-old daughter, Misty Spann, whom she has since divorced, The Oklahoman reported.
Under the plea deal, Spann must also pay a $1,500 fine, $991 in fees and $300 to the state victims’ compensation fund, the newspaper reported.
The Spann women filed for a marriage license in March 2016, online records show.
On the application, Patricia Spann listed her last name as Clayton.
The illegal relationship between mother and daughter was brought to the attention of authorities after a child welfare investigator who visited the family on an unrelated case reported them to police.
Patricia Spann told the welfare worker she lost contact with her three kids for years after their paternal grandmother was granted custody, according to court records obtained by The Lawton Constitution.
When she reconnected with Misty Spann, they “hit it off,” Patricia Spann allegedly told the welfare worker.
Patricia Spann said she didn’t think they violated any laws because her name was no longer on Misty Spann’s birth certificate.
Officials at the time said the women were living as a married couple and not just for financial gain.
Under Oklahoma law, marrying a close relative is considered incest whether or not a sexual relationship exists.
The marriage was annulled Oct. 12, six weeks after Misty Spann filed for an annulment "by reason of illegality and fraud."
Misty Spann pleaded guilty in November to incest and was sentenced to probation for 10 years and was required to get counseling.
However, after the sentencing, it was discovered that probation involving a deferred sentence is prohibited in an incest case. Because of this, Misty Spann was allowed to withdraw her guilty plea. She will enter a new plea next week.
This was Patricia Spann’s second marriage to one of her children, authorities said.
In 2008 “Patricia Ann Clayton Spann” married her son, Jody Spann Jr., state court records show.
He filed for an annulment 15 months later, citing “incest” as the reason, authorities said.
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