HAILSHAM, England, Feb. 19 (UPI) -- A 13-year-old British boy was put up to claiming he was the father of a 15-year-old girl's baby in an attempt cash in on the story, the Daily Mirror reports.

The British tabloid reported exclusively Wednesday that a close friend of Chantelle Stedman's parents said the girl was told by her mother to name Alfie Patten of Hailsham as the father of her baby.


Clive Sim, 39, contends the teen mom was ordered to keep mum about sleeping with other boys so the "teenage dad" story could be sold to newspapers for thousands of dollars, the Mirror reported.

"They know that Alfie being the dad makes a better story," Sim said. "I think there's a big scam going on here."

Other teenagers have claimed to be the father of Maisie Roxanne, the baby born to Chantelle this month. Alfie has said he wants to take a genetic test to prove his paternity.

Sim claims Alfie is being "exploited" by the families for financial gain.

"It's all pretty sordid," he told the Mirror. "Alfie may not be an angel and nor is Chantelle. But at the end of the day they are only children and it is the adults around them making bad decisions based on money, not their welfare."