As if that wasn't enough, 1.2 million went on to watch the online video clip of Alfie and his partner and baby, and 180,000 people left comments on the website's message boards. You can guess what most of them had to say.
The story attracted huge international coverage. A film crew was despatched to follow Alfie and his new family. And one of our biggest bookmakers started taking bets on who the father really was. If Britain really is broken, then it's not children and young people, but profiteering adults, who are doing most of the demolition.
All in all, it was a sad story of manipulation and greed. It only stopped after a high court judge slapped a media ban on reporting any new information about the case. But if sex sells, then underage sex seems to sell even better. There can be no doubt that there will be another Alfie. And, next time, he may live in your town or city.
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