A teenage fan who had a sexual encounter with footballer Adam Johnson has told a jury she now “absolutely hates” the player.
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The teenager told a court she idolised the 28-year-old when they started messaging each other in December 2014, and that sexual activity took place between the pair in Johnson’s Range Rover in January last year.
Johnson, of Castle Eden, County Durham, admitted to meeting the teenager after sexual grooming and sexual activity involving kissing last week ahead of the trial at Bradford Crown Court but the former winger denies two further charges of sexual activity which the prosecution has said are “more serious”.
On Tuesday she was asked whether she was still trying to protect the footballer, under cross examination by Orlando Pownall QC, defending Johnson.
“No, because he did nothing to protect me and he made me out to be a liar”, she said.
Prosecutors say Johnson and the girl exchanged hundreds of messages via text and social media around the time of their two meetings past year.
She said: “I was concerned because I didn’t want him to lose his career or anything”.
Speaking to court via a video-link, the teenager said: “I was trying to big myself up as any 15-year-old girl would”. When you idolise someone, it happens to you, I was not thinking at the time.
The teenager told the court she had been “showing off” about her alleged relationship with Johnson.
Mr Pownall accused her of lying over various things, but particularly exaggerating the level of sexual activity that happened in the player’s Range Rover. She added that she lied “to protect somebody else not protect myself”, saying: “At that time I didn’t realise it was wrong and what had gone on was wrong”. It made no difference to me whether they knew about me and Adam Johnson.
The girl said: “I thought as soon as I told him my age he would back off, but he didn’t”.
The girl got more upset and she continued to insist she never wanted to get Johnson into trouble.
She said: “How many other teenagers can say that happened to them”. I saw myself as playing a part in it as well, I thought I’d done wrong too.
Prosecuting Kate Blackwell QC asked the girl: “How did that make you feel?”
At least one message sent by the girl to her friends was read out before Bradford Crown Court, where Johnson’s case is being heard.
“I’ve had thousands of people call me a liar, a slag and a little slut for a year”.
The girl replied: “Yes he did I’m not lying about it the only person who has lied through this is him”.
She became upset as she explained to Mr Pownall how she began to panic when rumours began to circulate about what she and Johnson had done.
She said: “Yes, I do, after everything he’s put us through”.
Mr Pownall asked the girl whether she “absolutely hated” Johnson now.
She said: “Someone texting a 15-year-old girl – they’re not completely normal”. It wasn’t that I didn’t want it or anything.
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The girl said: “Yea I did actually because of some of the messages”.
