Adam Johnson faces 10 years in jail after GUILTY verdict on child sex

SACKED Sunderland ace Adam Johnson has been found guilty of one charge of sexually abusing a 15-year-old girl – but not guilty of a second charge.

Jurors took around nine hours to reach the first verdict – which was delivered a year to the day that Johnson was arrested.

But minutes later the jury returned to deliver a majority verdict to the second charge which related to the touching by Johnson of the 15-year-old girl. At least 10 of the 12 jurors had to agree for a majority to be reached.
 
Judge Jonathan Rose told Johnson jail is "almost inevitable" and he faces between four and 10 years when he is sentenced in "two to three weeks' time".He was told he was granted bail so he can "say goodbye" to his daughter before he is jailed.The footballer must abide by a number of conditions set by bail including a strict 7am-7pm curfew.

The ex-England footballer previously admitted grooming a 15-year-old girl and kissing her in his Range Rover in January last year.Ex-girlfriend Stacey Flounders – and the mother of their child Ayla – sat stoney faced as the verdict was read out.

Stacey Flounders dumped partner Adam Johnson in the dock during the trial

Det Insp Aelfwynn Sampson, of Durham Police, said Johnson was "living most schoolboys’ dreams" but "exploited his position as a local hero to take advantage of a young and impressionable girl".
"From the start of their contact he knew full well that she had just turned 15 and yet this did not stop him," she said.

"He no doubt thought that he would get away it but today demonstrates that no one is above the law.
"We would like to thank the victim for her courage in coming forward and her family for supporting her through this incredibly difficult time over the 12 months it has taken to reach this conclusion."
A victim impact statement was read outside court after the verdict.

Police reading the statement on behalf of the girl said: "He was my favourite football player. He asked me straight away about my age and I told him I was 15."I have faced so much abuse.
"What happened in his car turned my life upside down. I have lost so much confidence. I felt let down by him.

"I now want to put this awful experience behind me and look towards the future.
"This has been the hardest year of my life."During his 14-day trial, the court heard how 28-year-old met up with his victim twice and touched her sexually.

The former England winger also consistently lied to the police and his pregnant girlfriend, Miss Flounders – who later dumped him from the dock.Perv Johnson was sacked by Sunderland after admitting two charges on the first day of his trial on February 10.

Johnson's schoolgirl victim, now 16, idolized Johnson and would wait outside Sunderland’s ground – the Stadium of Light – for a picture with her hero after matches.She cannot be named for legal reasons.
After swapping numbers the pair exchanged 834 Whatsapp messages, some of which were explicit.
Messages from Johnson to the 15-year-old. including ones where he asked "Wasn’t bad was it?" after they met.Another read: "You felt very turned on."

The texts started on New Year’s Eve in 2015 and they met up for the first time 18 days later.
The victim’s mum had warned her daughter not to "go stalking" Johnson online after they became Facebook "friends".

Talking to her friends the schoolgirl had described the player as "creepy" when she first started talking to him.During the trial Johnson’s girlfriend admitted she suspected Johnson was having an affair – before revealing how he had cheated on her with "quite a few" other women.

Judge Jonathan Rose told Adam Johnson jail 'was almost inevitable'

And she described their relationship as "not very good" last January at the time the former England ace was meeting the schoolgirl.Johnson bowed his head as the mum-of-one blew the whistle on their romance during the trial.









source:dailystar