News.Ninemsn.com.au
The girlfriend of the 13-year-old boy labelled Britain's youngest dad has rejected claims he did not father her child, publicly declaring "I lost my virginity to him".
Chantelle Steadman, 15, last week gave birth to a girl, Maisie, amid intense media scrutiny — which was compounded when two other teenage boys claimed they could be the father.
Her boyfriend of two years, 13-year-old Alfie Patten, has agreed to take a paternity test he believes will prove beyond doubt that he is the father.
Chantelle has spoken for the first time to back up Alfie's paternity claim and hit back at accusations she had sex with the other boys.
"I love Alfie — I lost my virginity to him," UK newspaper The Sun quoted her as saying.
"We decided to start a physical relationship because we love each other. There has been no one else. Other stupid boys are lying."
Chantelle said Alfie was just 12 when she told him they were expecting a baby.
Since the birth, Alfie has been a doting father who can’t bear to be separated from his daughter, she said.
Matters were complicated yesterday when Tyler Barker, 14, and Richard Goodsell, 16, came forward with claims they had also slept with Chantelle and could have fathered the baby.
The elder boy said even his mother and friends were telling him Maisie "had [his] eyes".
But Chantelle's mother Penny Steadman, 38, joined with her daughter in dismissing the two boys' claims and insisted her daughter had only slept with Alfie.
She said she initially had no idea Chantelle and Alfie had a sexual relationship.
"I spoke to them both one night and asked, 'Are you sleeping together?'" she was quoted as saying.
"Their reply was, 'No'. We had no reason not to believe them."
