Kate Blackwell QC, prosecuting, claimed that the 28-year-old refused to accept responsibility for what he had done in order to prolong his football career, before finally pleading guilty to one count of sexual activity with a minor and one count of grooming – more than a year after the offences took place.
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More than 830 messages were exchanged between Adam Johnson and the 15-year-old girl he groomed, a court has heard.
“My world had got turned upside down and I was trying to play it down as much as I could”, said Johnson, giving evidence at Bradford Crown Court.
Adam Johnson has been accused in court of refusing to admit to sex crime charges, which he later pleaded guilty to, in order to keep picking up his £60,000-a-week wages.
Johnson said Sunderland Football Club’s management knew “everything” about their star player’s liaison with a schoolgirl superfan.
He said: “Before the meeting I was considering doing other sexual things but nothing else happened, I can’t stress that enough”.
He said he arrived on time and faced no fine – but agreed he was prepared to pay the late money to spend time with the girl.
He told jurors: “I knew the messages could come across being bad and I was anxious about what they may sound like I had done”.
“I didn’t say everything I should have in the interview”, Johnson said.
However, Johnson said the girl’s claims she performed a sex act on him were “completely fabricated”.
Miss Blackwell said: “Is this because you knew the game was up?”
She added: “You as a 27-year-old won’t be desirous of forging a friendship with a 15-year-old schoolgirl would you?”
Johnson said he was “surprised” that the teen had gone to police.
The footballer said he knew that he had “seriously wronged” the girl.
When asked by Orlando Pownall QC, defending, about what state he was in during his first interview, he said: “I was panicking”.
The England winger yesterday told the court he enjoyed kissing the girl and wanted to touch her sexually.
The footballer signed Sunderland shirts during the first meeting in January past year and has admitted kissing the teenager during the second meeting.
He described his messages to the girl as “flirty” and “inappropriate” and said he was “ashamed” about sending them. “I can’t think of the words to describe how I feel about it”.
When asked how he felt now, he said: “Embarrassed”.
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The jury were told earlier in the week that Johnson was reportedly wearing a cast on his left hand at the time of the second meeting.
