People call me a PAEDO for marrying my son’s best friend – yes he was underage when we met but it’s true love
WHEN Amy Sparks’s son Aydin introduced her to his 17-year old friend Bryce, she never imagined that one day the teen would become her husband.
Despite being more than double Bryce's age at 42, a relationship blossomed and four years later, they are now happily married - and the trio even live under the same roof.
The couple even waited until their wedding night to have sex for the first time, and while they now have the full support of Aydin, 22, cruel trolls on social media have branded Amy a ‘paedophile’.
Although it was actually Bryce who came on to Amy in the first place, not the other way around, telling Aydin that he fancied his mum, and making sure he had his 'blessing'.
Security guard Amy initially rejected Bryce's advances because the 25-year age gap didn't sit well with her.
But in February 2022, persistent lab technician Bryce was 19 when he managed to convince Amy to start a relationship.
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And just three months later, Amy, Bryce and Aydin moved in together, despite friends and family being ‘upset’ by the unusual arrangement.
"People have called me a paedophile but I wasn't introduced to Bryce until he was 17," says Amy. "It doesn't make me feel bad because I know that I'm not.
"When Bryce said he liked me, I was flattered and surprised but I rejected him because I thought he was too young for me.
"It took him two years to convince me."
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Bryce and Amy's son were 13 when they became friends but Bryce says Amy wouldn’t even consider a relationship with him until he was of legal age.
He says: "I started to develop feelings for Amy just before I turned 18.
"I was around at her house a lot.
“I wanted to be around her and I was attracted to her but she wouldn't even consider it because I wasn't of legal age.
"When I turned 18, things progressed.”
There are benefits of being sexually intimate with a younger man. With previous partners, intimacy has felt like a chore
Amy Sparks
It was on the eve of his 18th birthday when Bryce confessed his feelings.
Amy says: "I was at home on my bed and he messaged me on snapchat saying 'I bet you didn't know this but I have a crush on you'.
"I thought it was sweet but I saw him as a kid because he was my son's friend.
"I told him that I was flattered but he was too young for me."
But as Bryce's feelings grew, Amy found herself interested.
And when another girl showed interest in him, Amy felt pangs of jealousy.
"I started developing feelings for him because he wanted to be around me as much as I would let him," she says.
"He would come with me on deliveries when I was a driver.
"He got out of the car and I could tell that the girl who answered the door fancied him and it struck up some jealousy in me so I realised I had feelings for him."
The couple's relationship soon progressed and their first date was in a restaurant - with Aydin.
"Our first date was a double date was in a restaurant with Aydin and his girlfriend on Valentines Day," Amy recalls.
"We had a great time.
"Our first kiss was a few weeks later in a parking lot.
"It was sweet and awkward because he was nervous and I liked him so I was a little nervous.
"I've been through a lot of hurt in the past. I wanted someone who'd love me unconditionally and be faithful."
'It's my word against theirs'
Bryce says the relationship “comes with negativity” and he has to defend his wife to friends and trolls.
And even Aydin began to have doubts about the couple.
Bryce, now 22 says: "At first, Aydin said he would be fine with it.
"When it came out for real, he was uncomfortable about it but I didn't feel like it was coming from him."
And when both their families heard about their relationship it didn't go down well there either.
Bryce adds: "My family aren't happy about the relationship. A lot of them were very upset. It took time for a lot of people to accept it.
"When people say horrible things about Amy, I do get upset. It comes with a lot of negativity.
"You don't want that to happen to your wife.
"All I can do is say it's not true, but it's my word against theirs."
Amy, a mum of seven, adds: "My other children are happy for us.
"Aydin tried to convince me to look at Bryce in that way. He encouraged us.
“He thought I should give Bryce a chance."
Aydin tried to convince me to look at Bryce in that way. He encouraged us
Amy Sparks
Amy admits she was wary of commitment as she'd already been married twice.
She took the plunge and the couple put their own happiness first when they married in October last year in front of Aydin and one other witness.
Amy says: "We were living together, which means we were living in sin, so we decided to get married.
"You aren't supposed to be intimate until you're married so we were sleeping next to each other but Bryce wanted to take the next step.
"We got married with Aydin as a witness and my other children weren't there because we wanted it to be small and legal."
WHAT IS THE AGE OF CONSENT?
The age of consent is 16 regardless of sexual orientation or gender, as stated in the Sexual Offences Act of 2003.
"It is an offence for anyone to have any sexual activity with a person under the age of 16," it says very clearly.
While most countries prohibit sex with under-16s, the ages of consent around the globe vary from 11 to 21.
In Europe, it remains 14 for Germany, Austria, Hungary, Italy and Portugal - while Spain raised its from 13 to 16 in 2013.
The United States sets its on a state-by-state basis with the lowest being 16 and the highest 18.
Nigeria has the lowest age of consent anywhere in the world at 11 but it is 16 in most parts of Africa.
South Korea has set its at 20 while Japan has the lowest in Asia at 13.
Like many parts of North Africa, many parts of the Middle East do not have an age of consent but do require that people are married.
"We're really happy, and we're all really happy living together."
It wasn't until their wedding night that the couple were intimate for the first time.
"It was a special day," Amy says. "There are benefits of being sexually intimate with a younger man.
"With previous partners, intimacy has felt like a chore.
"Bryce is really kind and gentle and there's no pressure. He's like a breath of fresh air."
Bryce says there are benefits to being with a "mature" woman, even though he's had to accept that he'll never have children of his own.
He says: "I'm completely fine with not having kids. I realise having kids is a lot of stress.
"Amy doesn't make illogical decisions like a younger person would.
"She's more mature and makes mature decisions."
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Amy adds: "He's wise for his age, he's an old soul.
“He's still young, don't get me wrong, but he's not like other 22 year olds."
