The trial of former Sunderland footballer Adam Johnson continued on Monday.
The winger is accused of two counts of sexual activity with a child and the court has now heard from the girl at the centre of the allegations, who was 15 at the time and ‘idolised’ Johnson.
Friday’s session heard evidence of damning text messages and social media interactions between Johnson and the girl, who on Monday said she had been ‘well up for it’, when the 28-year-old made his alleged advances.
“I got a message from Sunderland player Adam Johnson who I’d idolised for quite a while,” she said, adding that when Johnson first met her he signed a pair of football shirts for her.
Johnson continued to contact her, she said, and brought up the subject of getting a “thank you kiss” for the shirts.
“I was well up for it. It was a surreal type of thing,” the girl told police. “I met up with him again. I gave him his thank you kiss and more.”
Johnson arranged to meet the girl a second time, when the footballer told her he ‘came for my thank you kiss’.
She described how Johnson undid the zip of her jeans and put his hand down her underwear, while also attempting to put her hand down his trousers.
"He undid the button on my trousers, then he undid the zip – it took him quite a while to do that." #AdamJohnsonhttps://t.co/GrxVkzkMpK
— Sunderland Echo (@SunderlandEcho) February 15, 2016
The 15-year-old told police she felt "compelled" to perform a sex act on Johnson because he kept putting her hand on his penis, jurors heard
— Josh Halliday (@JoshHalliday) February 15, 2016
Asked why she performed a sex act on the footballer, she told officers: "because I didn't know what his reaction would be if I didn't"
— Josh Halliday (@JoshHalliday) February 15, 2016
The girl told officers the sex act was Johnson's idea: "He put his hand on my back not forcing but gradually pushing" towards his penis
— Josh Halliday (@JoshHalliday) February 15, 2016
“I sort of knew what he was going to do because of the messages. I was a bit nervous really,” she added, saying that the encounter lasted three or four seconds before she stopped: “I sort of pushed for it to end because it was getting slightly awkward.”
The issue of the girl’s age was also discussed, with the girl making it clear Johnson knew she was below the age of consent.
A 15-year-old schoolgirl has told how she felt “shocked” and worried” after allegedly being groped by the footballer Adam Johnson
— Josh Halliday (@JoshHalliday) February 15, 2016
The girl told police after the alleged sexual touching with AJ: "I was a bit worried because I knew I had done something wrong."
— Josh Halliday (@JoshHalliday) February 15, 2016
Adam Johnson trial- Girl: "I didn't want anything to be done about it – I just wanted to drop it but my mum said what he's done is wrong"
— Josh Halliday (@JoshHalliday) February 15, 2016
Johnson was sacked by Sunderland last week after already admitting two charges – of sexual activity with a child and grooming – but he denies the other offences.
