Justin Bieber denies fathering a child

Justin Bieber accused of fathering a child. Photo by Rob Stemple.

Justin Bieber addressed rumors about being the father of a woman’s 3-month-old baby on while on the TODAY show this morning to promote his upcoming Chistmas album, “Under the Mistletoe.”

Bieber said, “I’d just like to say basically that none of those allegations are true…I know that I’m going to be a target, but I’m never going to be a victim.”

He further explained, “It’s crazy, every night after the show I’ve gone right from the stage right to my car, so it’s crazy that some people want to make up such false allegations. To set the record straight, none of it is true.”

Matt Lauer, the host, followed up by asking Bieber directly, “Do you know this woman? Her name is Mariah Yeater?”

 Bieber replied, “Never met the woman.” 

Yeater she and Bieber, then 16, had a brief sexual encounter following one of the singer’s concerts not long after Yeater had turned 19. She said she gave birth to a baby boy in July. She claims Bieber must be the father because he was the only man she had sex with at the time.

Yeater has asked for child support and a paternity test. A jusge scheduled a hearing for Dec. 15.

Complicating the matter is Biebers age at the time of the alleged encounter. According to California law, anyone who has unlawful sex with a minor and is not more than three years older is guilty of a misdemeanor, carrying up to a one-year jail sentence.

One of Yeater’s lawyers, Matthew Pare, said “The issue of statutory rape even if she’s guilty, hypothetically, that has no bearing on the duties to provide child support…It’s a totally separate issue.” He said Yeater is a stay-at-home mother and that if the paternity test determines Bieber to be the father of her child, she will be  looking for adequate child support.

Although Pare said he and his client have not been contacted by authorities (nor Bieber’s representative), police have stated an interest in investigating the case. 

Source: today.msnbc.msn.com