The woman can't be named to protect the identities of her sons. She sobbed in Kitchener's Ontario Court on Friday as the two incest charges were read out and the facts given.

The 35-year-old woman will be sentenced next month. Crown prosecutor Mark Poland said outside court that sentences for incest can range from house arrest to a prison term. He said such cases, involving mothers, are rare.

"We see it the other way around where the father's abusing the daughter way more frequently," Poland said.

The court heard that the woman told a worker at an alcohol detoxification centre what she'd done after going there to deal with her alcoholism. Alcohol was involved in both incidents.

Poland said after the woman split up with her husband, the boys lived with her. A few months later, she left them at her husband's doorstep with a note saying she couldn't take care of them.

After some time, she began visiting her sons at her ex-husband's home. This lasted for several years until her husband began to suspect she was drinking, and reduced the contact.

From 2001 to 2003, there was almost no contact with the boys, court heard. Her ex-husband allowed contact to resume after the woman assured him she was no longer drinking. The boys began visiting the woman and her boyfriend at her home again this year.

During one visit on Jan. 30, the mother gave her sons alcohol, court heard.

As the night wound on, everyone went to bed except the woman and one son. He and his mother began a conversation about his girlfriend, which turned to sexual matters. The two embraced, removed their clothes and sexual intercourse followed. The next day, they discussed what had happened, decided it was wrong and said it would not occur again.

On March 12, the two boys were visiting their mother once more. Again, alcohol was provided.

Everyone went to bed except the second son. He was feeling drunk. His mother helped him downstairs to bed and started to tuck him in.

He began playing with his mother's hair and they began a conversation about his social life. The teen told his mother he was having sexual fantasies about her. They embraced and had sex.

The next day, the mother talked with the second boy and they decided it would never happen again.

Several days later, the woman relayed a message to her ex-husband to pick up the boys because she had to go into a detoxification clinic, where she admitted she'd had sex with her sons. Family and Children's Services were called and then police. The boys confirmed her story. The woman also pleaded guilty to breaching a court order not to contact her sons after her arrest.