A married man who was adopted at birth has caused widespread shock and controversy by leaving his wife to begin a sexual relationship with his own biological mother, claiming their connection represents a phenomenon called genetic sexual attraction.
The Unfolding of an Unconventional Relationship
Kim West, now in her fifties, gave birth to her son Ben Ford when she was a nineteen-year-old student living in California. Unable to raise the child, she placed him for adoption just one week after his birth before returning to the United Kingdom. More than three decades passed without any contact between the pair, with Ben growing up in a separate family environment.
Reconnection and Rapid Escalation
In 2013, Ben Ford, who was married and residing in Colorado at the time, made the decision to search for his biological parents. He successfully managed to track down Kim West and initiated contact by writing her a personal letter. What began as an exchange of correspondence and telephone conversations quickly developed into something far more intense.
By 2014, the pair arranged to meet in person for the first time since Ben's birth. That initial face-to-face encounter would prove transformative, fundamentally altering the course of both their lives and shocking their extended families.
Crossing a Controversial Boundary
Kim and Ben crossed what most people would consider an unthinkable boundary almost immediately after their reunion. They became sexually involved shortly after meeting, with Ben later describing their encounters as so mind-blowing that he found himself unable to maintain intimacy with his then-wife, Victoria, unless he imagined she was his mother.
Kim revealed the growing tension within this unusual dynamic, stating: Victoria was welcoming, yet I couldn't warm to her. I felt a growing sense of competition and when Ben touched her I felt jealous. I became even more aware of the fact that she thought I was spending too much time with Ben. She would constantly call him when we were together.
Marriage Breakdown and Public Outrage
Just days after the affair began, Ben confessed everything to his wife. Not long after this revelation, he walked out on his marriage completely and relocated to Michigan to move in with Kim. Their relationship sparked widespread outrage when it became public knowledge, particularly because consensual incest between adults constitutes a serious criminal offence under Michigan state law.
If prosecuted, the pair could have faced severe legal consequences including:
- Up to fifteen years imprisonment
- Lifetime registration as sex offenders
- Permanent criminal records
As media attention intensified, Kim and Ben made the conscious decision to withdraw from public view to avoid further scrutiny and potential legal action.
The Genetic Sexual Attraction Defence
Despite the significant backlash from both the public and legal authorities, the pair have consistently insisted their relationship does not technically constitute incest. They claim instead that they are experiencing something called Genetic Sexual Attraction, a controversial psychological concept suggesting that relatives who meet for the first time as adults can experience intense sexual attraction due to missed bonding opportunities during infancy.
Kim has rejected the incest label outright, asserting they were meant to be together. Ben has similarly maintained that he never viewed Kim in a maternal capacity, only as a sexual partner and romantic companion.
Expert Criticism and Future Ambitions
This explanation has faced widespread criticism from psychological experts and ethicists who question its validity as justification for such relationships. Nevertheless, the couple have stood firmly by their position, even expressing desires to formalise their union through marriage and potentially have children together.
The case continues to raise profound questions about:
- The psychological impact of adoption and family separation
- The boundaries of acceptable relationships within society
- The intersection between personal freedom and legal restrictions
- The validity of controversial psychological concepts in justifying behaviour
While Kim and Ben have retreated from public attention, their story remains a disturbing and thought-provoking case study in unconventional relationships and the complex consequences of long-lost family reunions.
