‘I may as well have raped that girl’
Shamed football star’s shock prison confession
JAILED paedophile Adam Johnson has blamed his 15year-old victim for his crimes in a self-pitying rant filmed on a mobile phone in prison.
The ex-England footballer was unrepentant as he told inmates he ‘wished’ he had raped her.
Johnson was jailed for six years in March last year for kissing, grooming and intimately touching the schoolgirl. His trial heard that he was ‘ ashamed’ and that he apologised ‘unreservedly’ to his victim.
But just 13 months later he has told fellow prisoners dismissed his crimes as ‘f*** all’ and said ‘birds can say anything’ in rape cases.
The former Middlesbrough, Manchester City and Sunderland midfielder blamed his celebrity status for his harsh treatment by the courts and the police.
He said that if he had been ‘ Joe Public’ he would have escaped with a caution. His comments were met with widespread anger with one child protection charity saying it was ‘clear his remorse shown in court was a sham’.
One parole specialist said the 29year-old may now spend longer in prison as he appeared to be making light of his offences and ‘seeing that remorse is shown is important’.
The six-minute film, believed to have been made in the laundry room at HMP Moorland near Doncaster, is being investigated by the Ministry of Justice. Johnson, who earned £60,000 a week as a Premier League star, used offensive and sexist language about his young victim, blaming her for his crimes.
In one exchange another man asks how he received six years without having sex with his victims. Johnson laughs and responds: ‘I didn’t even get my c*** out.’ The prisoner says: ‘It’s not like you f***ing raped her or owt like that?’ Johnson replies: ‘No, I wish I f***ing did for six year.’
In the video obtained by The Sun Johnson, who has a two-year- old daughter with his ex-partner Stacey Flounders, blames his victim for waiting for him outside home games in Sunderland and makes a rude gesture about her breasts. He says: ‘She was at my car every game right, waiting for me, just standing there like in all the gear and that… like tight jeans, little shirt, t**s out, not like skirts and that.
‘Then after the game she was asking for pictures all the time. This went on for about six months and the next thing she says, “Can you get us a signed shirt?”… then she added me [ on social media]. I
‘His remorse at his trial was a sham’
accepted her, got talking to her, I didn’t, I didn’t know, I just thought she was 17, 18. Got talking to her for a few weeks and then I met up with her and f***ing kissed her…’
The other prisoner then says: ‘Next thing you’re doing a six stretch.’
Johnson adds: ‘And there’s lads on here who’s f***ing shagged like 12year-olds and got 13 months.’
In one section of the video, Johnson claimed he was treated unfairly because of his fame. Another prisoner said: ‘If you were Joe Public, you wouldn’t have gone to jail.’
Johnson replies: ‘I would have got a caution at the police station. If I wasn’t who I was, he [the girl’s father] wouldn’t have gone to the police station.’ He says he feels sorry for fellow footballer Ched Evans,
who was cleared of rape at retrial last year, adding that the system is rigged against men like him.
He says: ‘If she’s apparently “too drunk” to consent you’re getting f***ing buried.’ John- son was jailed in March 2016 after a three-week trial during which he admitted one charge of grooming and one of sexual activity with a child. He was convicted of a third charge of sexual touching. Prosecutor Kate Blackwell QC told the court a medical report concluded Johnson ‘believes he has a right to have sex’.
Detective Inspector Aelfwynn Sampson said at the time: ‘Johnson exploited his posi- tion as a local hero to take advantage of a young and impressionable girl. From the start of their contact, he knew full well she had just turned 15 and yet this did not stop him.’
Last month, Johnson lost a challenge for permission to appeal against his conviction. Court of Appeal judges also rejected his bid for a reduction in his six-year sentence.
Last night child protection charities criticised Johnson for trying to blame his victim.
The NSPCC said: ‘The age of consent is not difficult to understand. To make it clear to Johnson: adults can’t have sexual contact with children. His disgusting comments make clear that his remorse shown in court was a sham.’
Harry Fletcher, co-director of Voice for Victims said: ‘ It’s time to re-examine the rules and make release conditional on improved behaviour during the sentence.’
The Prison Service said it was investigating the illegal use of a mobile phone in the prison. A spokeswoman said: ‘An investigation is underway. Those who break the rules will be punished and can face extra time behind bars.’
Johnson’s father Dave said: ‘Whatever this shows, it can’t hurt him any more than he’s already been hurt. However it [the film] is illegal and I’ll be contacting our lawyers.’
‘His comments are disgusting’