Sydney, Apr 7 : An Australian father, John, and his daughter, Jenny Deaves, have said they have ended their sexual relationship of 9 years that had resulted in the birth of a child.

Jenny, 39, appeared on Australian television programme 'Sixty Minutes' last night, holding her nine-month-old daughter Celeste with John who is 61 and said, "We will continue living as a normal, happy family for years to come because we risk going to prison."

The story of their bizarre coupling emerged after a court in Australia found them guilty of incest last month and ordered them to cease their sexual relationship, placing them on a three-year good behaviour bond.

Jenny was just a year old when her father left her mother, but they had a consensual relationship from the time when Jenny was 31.

Jenny has always seen her father as the man in her life, rather than a father.

"I was looking at him, sort of going, he's not too bad. Like you might look at a man across the bar at a nightclub," she said.

"John and I are in this relationship as consenting adults. We are just asking for a little bit of respect and understanding," she added.

She has two children from a previous relationship.

John said, "At first, I thought that having sex with my daughter was wrong, but the relationship was "absolutely fantastic. As people no doubt realise, there are times during your life where emotions do rule the heart, it rules the head."

"I knew it was illegal, of course I knew it was illegal but you know, so what," he added.

A police spokesman said they "were being monitored".

An American psychologist told that the incident was a case of "genetic sexual attraction. The phenomenon is not rare, and society would be surprised at how prevalent it is.

ANI