See mother and son fall in love 18 years after she gave him up for adoption (photos)

- A mother and son met after 18 years and fell in love

- They were living together, but went to jail after a neighbor called out to their illegal living situation

- They are now free on probation, but claim they won’t give up their relationship

A woman and her son, whom she had given up for adoption when he was a baby, pleaded guilty at a court to leading an illegal love relationship, with risk of facing jail time.

They got arrested on February 2016, and even though the judge granted them bail in August, 37-year old Monica Mares and 20-year old Caleb Peterson vow they will continue with their relationship.

Mother and son claim their love is too strong for them to be apart.

Mother and son met for the first time 18 years after she gave him up for adoption. She had tracked him down over Facebook. It was one week later, when they started spending time together at the RV she has for home, that the first spark of love started between them.

Mares has eight other children, and when they started their relationship in 2015, they had the two youngest ones living with them, who even called him “dad”.

It was only after a neighbor reported the situation, that word came out the two were living together as a couple. After their arrest, they were ordered to stay away from each other.

Mares and Peterson, who are from Clovis, New Mexico, claim they are “madly in love.” Even though she is aware that their situation might make her lose her liberty and children, they want to fight for what they believe is their right.

Forbidden love!

"Caleb is willing to go through the same thing. Whatever it takes to be together,” she said, adding that “there is no way anybody could pull us apart, and I really do love him. It hurts he is far away. It hurts really bad. I wish I could see him, talk to him, but I can't risk it.”

Peterson said that for the first time in his life he felt loved and taken care of, when he started seeing his real mother. “I never had anyone cook me meals or give me anything… and she went out of her way to make me happy and after about a week or so I started having feelings for her and I guess I fell in love.”