Girl, 15, ‘branded a liar over sex act with football star’
A SCHOOLgIRL yesterday accused footballer Adam Johnson of branding her a liar over an illicit sexual encounter – making her a target for abuse.
The teenager said she now hated her former idol because his claims of innocence had led to ‘thousands’ of people attacking her.
She told a court: ‘He told everyone he was innocent, he let people cheer him on for matches and call me all the names under the sun.’ She added: ‘I still get teased because I was made out to be a liar for a year.’
Struggling to control her emotions, the 16-year-old told Bradford Crown Court about her ordeal following the former Sunderland player’s arrest last March.
Appearing via video-link, she said: ‘I have had thousands of people call me a slag, a slut, a silly little girl.’
Earlier the court heard the girl – who was 15 at the time – met Johnson in his Range Rover twice in January last year, after receiving a ‘friend’ request from her on Facebook.
The first time he signed two club shirts for her – the second time was so she could give him a ‘thank you kiss’.
The teenager told friends that the star, who has also played for England, had touched her intimately, and got her to perform a sex act on him in his Range Rover. She denied saying that she met him for a third time.
However, she admitted ‘ bigging’ herself up her to friends over her relationship with Johnson.
In one Snapchat message she spoke about a planned meeting with him, writing: ‘He is picking me up again this week and I am riding him.’
Johnson, of Castle Eden, Durham, has denied two charges of sexual activity with a child under 16. However he has pleaded guilty to a fur- ther charge of sexual activity with a child and sexual grooming.
Explaining why she bragged on social media, the girl put it down to being a silly teenager, and said: ‘When you idolise someone and that happens to you, you’re not thinking.’
She also told the jury that Johnson, 28, was ‘creepy’ in the way he contacted her on Facebook and exchanged hundreds of messages with her. Asked to clarify, she said: ‘I thought that when I told him my age he would back off. Someone texting a 15-year-old girl – they’re not normal.’
The court heard the teenager didn’t want to report Johnson to police, but was forced to tell her parents last February because details of the encounter were spreading online.
She broke down in tears over comments made on Facebook – including ‘I’ll rape you’ and ‘Stop lying’ – told her father and went to police the next day.
Johnson’s barrister accused the girl of lying about the extent of the sexual contact in the car.
But she said she initially hid details of the sex act from police to ‘protect’ her hero.
Asked by Orlando pownall QC, defending, if she was still trying to protect Johnson, she replied: ‘No, because he has done nothing to protect me.’
Johnson was sacked from his club last week. The case continues.