I can't have sexual relations any more, I'm 98!

A Mexican widow has had to file a legal complaint against a man half a century younger than her when she rejected his propositions and he threatened to kill her, according to a Reuters report last week.

Maria de Jesus Flores, 98, got to know 48-year-old Manuel Martinez when he began delivering her groceries.

She claims that Martinez began propositioning to her to the point of harassment. Her complaint was filed after she said he tried to kiss her and threatened to kill her if she didn't let him move in with her.

She told the Daily Reforma: "He said he couldn't live without me, that he loved me, but that's not for me ... I can't have sexual relations any more, I'm 98."

She also added that she suspected he wanted her to support him financially rather than romantically.

Gerontophilia refers to those who are attracted to those considerably older or those who treat the elderly as sexual objects of desire.

Among Holywood celebrities, we see milder cases of couples bridging the generation gap, such as:

• Lara Flynn Boyle, 36 and Jack Nicholson, 69
• Ashton Kutcher, 29 and Demi Moore, 44
• Calista Flockhart, 43 and Harrison Ford, 64

And, of course we're reminded of former Playboy Bunny Anna Nicole Smith's marriage to billionaire J Howard Marshall, 63 years her senior.

Have a look through websites such as Sugar Daddy, Apollo Network, or any dating site for that matter - whether straight or gay and you will see adverts which illustrate how common intergenerational relationships are, as well as how they are promoted. You won't have to look long before you see your first mention of: "Looking for my daddy".

The Confessions of a Phone Actress blog mentions a concerning call she had in February with a caller looking for a bit of father/daughter phone fun. She writes of her concern as the caller wanted to engage in father/daughter fun of a more illegal nature: "The client was most interested in how young he imagined my body looked against his and then he began with the “Who’s your Daddy?” comments. Again, nothing unusual until halfway into the fantasy he asks, “You want to get in the shower with me?” Before I can say anything in response he continues with, “Mommy will never know.” Boing! Up went the huge red flag. Crap! How do I get out of it now? "

Another concerning aspect of gerontophilia is the potential danger to the elderly person being 'cherished'. Many young women with much older lovers are referred to as 'gold diggers' as they're concerns mainly focus on the material. However, among young men with this fetish, there are some who only attack elderly women. John Wayne Glover, who was convicted of the North Shore Granny Murders in Sydney, Australia in 1991 killed 6 women aged from 70 to 93. His murder method involved giving the victim a hammer blow to the head followed by strangulation using a pair of the victim's pantyhose.

However, if the web sites and magazines set up to promote cross-generational relationships are anything to go by, incidents such as those involving Glover and Martinez are rare.