A South Carolina man and his daughter have been arrested for allegedly having an incestuous relationship, which authorities discovered after the child the pair had together died.
Katlyn Lauren Edwards and her biological father, James Travis Brown, were charged with incest on Monday after the pair allegedly admitted to having a sexual relationship that resulted in the birth of a child, the Laurens County Sheriff’s Office said.
Investigators said they learned of the relationship after receiving a report from the state’s Department of Social Services alleging a sexual abuse incident.
Edwards had given birth to a child that later died at a medical facility in Charleston, officials said.
Both she and Brown said their relationship was “consensual and mutual,” the sheriff’s office said.
Edwards was arrested without incident last Monday and taken to the Laurens County detention center.
Brown was already incarcerated on unrelated charges and will be transferred to Laurens County, authorities said.
It was not immediately clear how the child died, but the investigation was ongoing.
“It is beyond my comprehension how this could take place between a father and daughter,” Laurens County Sheriff Don Reynolds said. “At this time, I can’t confirm the baby died from complications related to incest, however we wonder if that’s the case.
"We are working with medical professionals and the Solicitors Office regarding that aspect of the investigation and will update everyone if there are any additional charges.”
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