Court issues order against teen after getting his 15-year-old girlfriend pregnant

A teenage boy who became a father at just 12 years old has been banned by a court from having sleepovers with his girlfriend.

Hunter Johnson, now 14, is no longer permitted to “stay overnight” at the home of his 15-year-old girlfriend, Bella Vaughn. The young couple have attracted considerable public scrutiny after appearing on the TLC reality series Unexpected last month.

Teen pregnancy proves divisive

The programme offers a “raw look at teenage pregnancies and the impact on their families,” and because of how young the pair are, viewers have been closely following their experience of becoming parents.

Bella, who has since gained a large following on TikTok, was 14 when she became pregnant by Hunter, who is approximately two years younger than her.

In a clip posted online, she addressed criticism surrounding their relationship, explaining that Hunter had turned 13 only a few days after the pregnancy occurred.

She said: “I understand it doesn’t make it any better. I understand he was sexually ready faster than I was, and that’s OK, but I was ready when we had sex.”

She also responded to accusations online, adding: “You can all stop saying that it was illegal and that I raped him because I didn’t.”

She continued: “We’ve already talked to the cops about it. It was consensual." The young girl also insisted she 'did not ruin' Hunter's life and 'gave him the option' of walking away, adding: "He chose to stay with me. He chose to take care of our baby."

Bella, who is from Arkansas, gave birth to their son, Wesley, in March last year. In an episode of Unexpected, Hunter shared his thoughts on becoming a father at such a young age, saying: "I was 12 when I found out I was going to be a dad. Now I’m 13. I did not think I would be finishing 8th grade and becoming a dad at the same time."

His mother Stacie Riddle also featured in the show and she told viewers how Hunter's relationship with his dad Casey Johnson, 'fell apart after Bella got pregnant', as he claimed his son had 'ruined' his life.

Hunter faces court restrictions amid custody battle

Hunter’s parents are currently embroiled in a custody battle over their son, and despite his father’s protestations, court files have revealed that Casey has launched a petition to acquire full care of the 14-year-old, after alleging that the teen was in an 'unstable and unwholesome environment'.

Hunter’s father claims that Stacie then gave their son permission to 'move in with his girlfriend who became pregnant soon after'. While Stacie requested the judge to disregard his bid for full custody of their teenager, Casey was awarded temporary joint custody in November 2025.

Subsequently, Casey’s appeal to the courts to ban his son from being allowed to 'live with' Bella or her family, including staying at her house, was granted. The temporary custody order that is currently in effect establishes: "Neither party shall allow the minor child to stay overnight at a romantic partner’s house." Despite claiming a small victory in the form of joint custody last year, Casey remains engaged in a custody battle with Stacie.

Featured Image. Credit: TLC