The young woman who claims Justin Bieber impregnated her during a Staples Center tryst may rue the day she dished about the quickie and its consequences.
That’s because the alleged hookup could get Mariah Yeater, 20, in legal trouble for statutory rape if her tale proves to be true, The Associated Press reported.
Bieber was still a tender 16-year-old — technically a minor under California law — when he and Yeater, then newly 19, allegedly got busy in an arena bathroom after one of his shows last October.
It is against California law for an adult to have sex with anyone under 18. If the offender is no more than three years older than the victim — as would be the case if Yeater’s claim were true — it would trigger a misdemeanor count punishable by up to a year in jail.
Yeater filed a paternity suit against Bieber in San Diego Superior Court, asking for a paternity test and, if Bieber is the daddy, financial support for the child.
But no criminal complaint has been made regarding the possible statutory rape.
Los Angeles police Cmdr. Andrew Smith told the wire service the department could launch an investigation.
“If it’s brought to our attention, of course we’ll look into it,” the AP reported.
Yeater came forward with claims that the “Baby” singer was the father of her 3-month-old son, Tristyn Anthony Markhouse Yeater, earlier this week — sparking a media frenzy over the alleged scandal in Bieberland.
Bieber’s spokesman, Matthew Hiltzik, denied the allegation, calling it “malicious, defamatory and demonstrably false.”
“We will vigorously pursue all available legal remedies to defend and protect Justin against these allegations,” his statement, made previously to the Daily News, added.
Yeater says the baby-faced singer is the only one who could possibly be the father of her boy because “there were no other possible men she had sex with at that time,” according to the AP.
As to the possible legal wrinkle that could come back to bite her, her lawyer, Matthew Pare, had this to say:
“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 added: "The most important thing for our client is letting her baby know who his father is.”
