Browsing the newsstands this morning on the way to uni, my eye was caught by the Sun's glaring headline 'Dad at 13'. The 'exclusive' story is also on the Sun's website, and the basic gist is a 13 year old boy called Alfie Patten has become a father despite the fact he looks about ten and his voice hasn't broken.
The Sun has done its best to sound neutral and non-judgemental, reporting how the fifteen year old mother, Chantelle Steadman, conceived after having sex once with Alfie. They decided to keep the baby but didn't tell anyone until Chantelle's mother guessed.
The pictures of Alfie cradling a child a third his size are disarming, as is the family photo including the much-older-looking Chantelle next to her young boyfriend.
The online readers of the Sun were less broadminded, with 232 comments at 13.40 today, mostly expressing disbelief, anger, blaming the government and occasionally leaping to the couple's defence. It's a sensational story.
But is it an ethical one?
The Press Complaints Commission Code of Practice states that victims of sexual assault should not be identified, and as Chantelle was under sixteen she has technically been raped, regardless of her consent. Victims of sex offences are given automatic anonymity under the Sexual Offences Act, but this can be passed over with the victim's written consent.
It seems that there will be no legal case brought for this offence, so there is no legal restriction on identifying Alfie and Chantelle. But I wonder how much the Sun thought about the impact of their story?
Alfie's video interview on the Sun website shows a boy who has no idea what he has got himself into. Lucy Hagan's closed questions give him little opportunity to express his true feelings, but seem to deliberately enhance his naivety.
His story will bring in revenue for the paper, and I would be surprised if Alfie and Chantelle don't get some money of out this too, despite the PCC Code of Practice also stating that people under 18 should not be paid for their stories unless it is in their interest. But their faces are now known across the country - a cautionary tale for unruly children. The trials of fatherhood (for Alfie insists he will be a 'good dad' and 'care' for his daughter Maisie, the question 'how' has not satisfactorily been addressed) will seem nothing compared to the treatment he gets at school, in the street, anywhere he goes.
It will follow him forever - yes nationally he will be forgotten when the next big story breaks - but living in Eastbourne will be a nightmare. He has lost his privacy before he is old enough to understand what that means. Both families will have to cope with constant neighbourly scrutiny, remarks and gossip, exaggerated across Eastbourne, and Maisie will grow up with the whole community knowing the circumstances of her conception and birth.
It might be an 'exclusive' story; it isn't an ethical one. I don't think newspapers should be in the business of destroying lives before they have even started.
I wonder how long it will be before Alfie and Chantelle regret speaking to the press.
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