A domestic violence investigation led Polk County deputies to allegations of a yearslong sexual relationship between a mother and her adult son.
LAKELAND, FL — A 46-year-old Florida woman faces incest and adultery charges after investigators said she acknowledged having a sexual relationship with her adult son, an allegation uncovered after deputies responded to a domestic dispute at their Lakeland home.
Christina Clemens was arrested after her son, Shane Clemens, told investigators that the two had been sexually involved since he was 18, according to Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd and reports citing arrest records. Authorities said Christina Clemens later acknowledged the relationship and told investigators that sexual encounters had occurred about 100 times. The allegations surfaced only after Christina Clemens reported that her son had struck her during an argument.
Deputies initially responded to the home Aug. 21 for what authorities described as a domestic violence incident. Christina Clemens accused her son of battering her, and Shane Clemens was arrested. Judd said the 22-year-old then told deputies about the sexual relationship with his mother. Investigators subsequently began examining that allegation separately from the reported battery.
According to an arrest affidavit described by several news organizations, Shane Clemens told detectives that the relationship began after he had reached adulthood. Investigators reviewed records confirming that Christina Clemens was his biological mother. Authorities have not alleged that the sexual relationship began while Shane Clemens was a minor.
Christina Clemens was interviewed by investigators Aug. 27 after being advised of her rights, according to reports citing the affidavit. Authorities said she acknowledged repeated sexual contact with her son. She was arrested on charges of incest and living in open adultery. Under Florida law, incest is a criminal offense involving sexual intercourse between people related within degrees that prohibit them from legally marrying.
Investigators also interviewed Christina Clemens’ husband, who was not publicly identified. Judd said the husband told detectives that he had not known about the alleged sexual relationship. The husband described himself and Christina Clemens as happily married, according to the sheriff’s account, although he told investigators he had previously found it unusual when his wife and her son went into a bedroom together and locked the door.
The sheriff publicly discussed the case in September, several weeks after the arrests. Initial reports said both Christina and Shane Clemens had been charged with incest, with Shane also facing a domestic violence battery charge. More recent court-record reporting said the incest charge against Shane Clemens was later dropped. Authorities have not publicly explained in detail why prosecutors did not continue with that charge.
Oxygen reported that Shane Clemens was released from custody Sept. 17 and that court records continued to list the domestic violence case. Reporting on Christina Clemens’ custody status has varied, and publicly available accounts have also reported different bond totals. No reliable public account reviewed for this report established that either defendant had entered a plea to the remaining charges.
Christina Clemens is scheduled for arraignment Oct. 6, according to local reporting. The allegations against her have not been proven in court, and the criminal case remains pending. The domestic violence allegation involving Shane Clemens also remains a separate legal matter from the incest allegations described by investigators.
Author note: Last updated September 18, 2026.