Adam Johnson arrives for sentence at Bradford Crown Court after being
found guilty on child sex charges
Story highlights
Adam Johnson jailed for six years on child sex charges
Former England footballer found guilty on three charges
Prosecutors call offences "calculated, considered and carefully orchestrated"
(CNN)Former England soccer star Adam Johnson has been jailed for six
years after being found guilty of three child sex charges.
Prosecutors told Bradford Crown Court the 28-year-old's offences were
"calculated, considered and carefully orchestrated," according to a
report by the Press Association.
Kate Blackwell QC said the victim, who was 15 at the time, had
suffered "severe psychological harm." In a statement the victim said
she'd "entered many dark places" in the past year.
Sacked by English Premier League club Sunderland in the wake of his
conviction, Johnson admitted to grooming a girl under the age of 16
and one charge of sexual activity but was found guilty of a further
charge he had contested.
They related to an incident in Johnson's car on January 30, 2015,
after he met up with the girl -- a Sunderland fan. Police said Johnson
initially told them he was unaware of the girl's true age and claimed
he only kissed her.
The girl told the court that Johnson put his hands down her pants and
that she performed an oral sex act on him. The charge related to the
girl performing oral sex on him wasn't proved and Johnson was cleared.
"Compulsive" attitude to sex
Sentencing, Judge Jonathan Rose told Johnson: "You made a deliberate
decision to engage in sexual activity with this young girl, no doubt
in the expectation that you would get away with it.
"The offences happened at a time when you were engaged in frequent
sexual intercourse with multiple partners."
Johnson's partner Stacey Flounders, with whom he has a one-year-old
daughter, was not present in court. She earlier told the trial they
were no longer a couple.
Judge Rose added that Johnson had "every opportunity" to enter guilty
pleas to the charges he admitted once the trial had started and that
decision meant the girl had to endure a year of being called a liar.
The aggravating factors included Johnson's insistence their messages
on social media were disposed of, the secluded location of the offence
and his attempts to prevent the girl from reporting the matter.
Johnson was also ordered to pay £50,000 ($70,000) of the prosecution's
costs, which totaled £67,132 ($94,709).
Prison would offer "relief"
Johnson's defence team said he had "a compulsive attitude towards
engaging in sexual activity," and that he had been stripped of his 12
England caps and nationally humiliated.
A doctor's report read out in court quoted Johnson as saying: "Being
in prison would offer some relief. I just want to let people I have
hurt get on with their lives."
Detective Inspector Aelfwynn Sampson, of Durham Constabulary, told
reporters after the verdict: "This girl should have been safe but she
was used by the public figure she looked up to most.
"Fame, celebrity and a position of power does not give you the right
to break the law in pursuit of whatever you desire. I hope today will
bring some closure for her and her family."
Prior to Johnson's sentencing, the National Society for the Prevention
of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) urged the Football Association --
English football's governing body -- to take the issue more seriously.
Its chief executive, Peter Wanless, said urgent action was required to
ensure the Johnson case was not symptomatic of a "cultural problem
within football."
Johnson's sister, who set up a support group for her brother on
Facebook in the wake of his conviction, said she wouldn't be attending
sentencing.
She maintained she was 100 per cent behind him and said it was "the
worst day of my life." She added: "I just don't want him to see the
pain in my eyes!"
England international
Johnson, who made the last of his 12 appearances for England in August
2012, was arrested in March 2015and was initially suspended by
Sunderland before returning to the team a fortnight later.
Sunderland, which had initially declined to comment on the grounds the
case was ongoing, then chose to sack the midfielder last month in
light of his guilty plea.
The club sought to clarify its stance, saying had it known that
Johnson would plead guilty at any time it would have terminated his
employment "immediately."
"This has been an extremely difficult time for all involved,"
Sunderland said in a statement on its website. "The victim and her
family have endured an unimaginable ordeal in the last 12 months and
we trust that they will now be allowed to move on with their lives
without further intrusion or public scrutiny."
found guilty on child sex charges
Story highlights
Adam Johnson jailed for six years on child sex charges
Former England footballer found guilty on three charges
Prosecutors call offences "calculated, considered and carefully orchestrated"
(CNN)Former England soccer star Adam Johnson has been jailed for six
years after being found guilty of three child sex charges.
Prosecutors told Bradford Crown Court the 28-year-old's offences were
"calculated, considered and carefully orchestrated," according to a
report by the Press Association.
Kate Blackwell QC said the victim, who was 15 at the time, had
suffered "severe psychological harm." In a statement the victim said
she'd "entered many dark places" in the past year.
Sacked by English Premier League club Sunderland in the wake of his
conviction, Johnson admitted to grooming a girl under the age of 16
and one charge of sexual activity but was found guilty of a further
charge he had contested.
They related to an incident in Johnson's car on January 30, 2015,
after he met up with the girl -- a Sunderland fan. Police said Johnson
initially told them he was unaware of the girl's true age and claimed
he only kissed her.
The girl told the court that Johnson put his hands down her pants and
that she performed an oral sex act on him. The charge related to the
girl performing oral sex on him wasn't proved and Johnson was cleared.
"Compulsive" attitude to sex
Sentencing, Judge Jonathan Rose told Johnson: "You made a deliberate
decision to engage in sexual activity with this young girl, no doubt
in the expectation that you would get away with it.
"The offences happened at a time when you were engaged in frequent
sexual intercourse with multiple partners."
Johnson's partner Stacey Flounders, with whom he has a one-year-old
daughter, was not present in court. She earlier told the trial they
were no longer a couple.
Judge Rose added that Johnson had "every opportunity" to enter guilty
pleas to the charges he admitted once the trial had started and that
decision meant the girl had to endure a year of being called a liar.
The aggravating factors included Johnson's insistence their messages
on social media were disposed of, the secluded location of the offence
and his attempts to prevent the girl from reporting the matter.
Johnson was also ordered to pay £50,000 ($70,000) of the prosecution's
costs, which totaled £67,132 ($94,709).
Prison would offer "relief"
Johnson's defence team said he had "a compulsive attitude towards
engaging in sexual activity," and that he had been stripped of his 12
England caps and nationally humiliated.
A doctor's report read out in court quoted Johnson as saying: "Being
in prison would offer some relief. I just want to let people I have
hurt get on with their lives."
Detective Inspector Aelfwynn Sampson, of Durham Constabulary, told
reporters after the verdict: "This girl should have been safe but she
was used by the public figure she looked up to most.
"Fame, celebrity and a position of power does not give you the right
to break the law in pursuit of whatever you desire. I hope today will
bring some closure for her and her family."
Prior to Johnson's sentencing, the National Society for the Prevention
of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) urged the Football Association --
English football's governing body -- to take the issue more seriously.
Its chief executive, Peter Wanless, said urgent action was required to
ensure the Johnson case was not symptomatic of a "cultural problem
within football."
Johnson's sister, who set up a support group for her brother on
Facebook in the wake of his conviction, said she wouldn't be attending
sentencing.
She maintained she was 100 per cent behind him and said it was "the
worst day of my life." She added: "I just don't want him to see the
pain in my eyes!"
England international
Johnson, who made the last of his 12 appearances for England in August
2012, was arrested in March 2015and was initially suspended by
Sunderland before returning to the team a fortnight later.
Sunderland, which had initially declined to comment on the grounds the
case was ongoing, then chose to sack the midfielder last month in
light of his guilty plea.
The club sought to clarify its stance, saying had it known that
Johnson would plead guilty at any time it would have terminated his
employment "immediately."
"This has been an extremely difficult time for all involved,"
Sunderland said in a statement on its website. "The victim and her
family have endured an unimaginable ordeal in the last 12 months and
we trust that they will now be allowed to move on with their lives
without further intrusion or public scrutiny."
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