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NJ Lawmaker Plans To Introduce Bill That Would Ban Adult Incest

TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — A New Jersey lawmaker plans to introduce legislation that would ban adult incest in the state.

Assemblywoman Mary Pat Angelini announced her plans Wednesday.

The bill would make it illegal to marry or commit an act of sexual penetration with a blood relative, including half-siblings. Violators could face three to five years in prison and a fine of up to $15,000.

Angelini, a Republican from Monmouth County, said adult incestuous relationships "violate our acceptable moral standards" and often involve sexual abuse that is blurred by the "consensual" loophole.

The measure comes in the wake of a New York magazine report that a Great Lakes-area 18-year-old plans to marry her long-estranged biological father and move to New Jersey.

Angelini says incest among consenting adults is now technically legal in New Jersey.

(© Copyright 2015 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

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