Adam Johnson was today found guilty of one count of sexual activity with a child. He is expected to serve a five-year prison sentence.
The victim of the ordeal issued a powerful statement in response to the sentencing, in which the horrifying effect it has had upon her was brought to light. In the statement, she says that Adam Johnson was her favourite footballer, and that she was "used and let down by him":
It's been the hardest year of my life and I've had to face so much offence since he claimed my innocence. I was made out to be a liar.
If anything, I've held things back because I didn't want this to come out.
What happened in his car has turned my life upside down. I have lost all of my confidence. My school work has suffered.
There are people out there who made assumptions about me and that alone has been hard to deal with. I have been unable to defend myself publically.
The gossip on social media and hearing all of the names people called me has been devastating to me, my friends and my family. People were lying about me and what I had said.
Thankfully, she can now try to move on from the hideous experience.
Elsewhere, Sunderland issued a statement soon after the judgement was announced to clarify matters, as they were hitherto unable to comment on a case which was underway in the courts.
Sunderland sacked Johnson when he pleaded guilty to one act of sexual activity with a minor, although the club faced criticism for not firing him earlier.
The club suspended Johnson on March 2, 2015 when they were informed of the nature of the allegations by police. The ban was subsequently lifted following after a meeting with the PFA.
Sunderland did not fire him because he had not pleaded guilty.
The club also strongly denied claims that they knew of a claim that Johnson only altered his non-guilty plea immediately before trial to be able to continue playing football:
The club did not give evidence either for the prosecution or the defence in this case. It was therefore not present in court when it is understood that a suggestion was made that the club knew all along that Mr. Johnson was intending to change his plea just before trial to enable him to continue to play football for the club and that the club may also have been involved in tactical discussions about the plea.
This is utterly without foundation and is refuted in the strongest possible terms. The club never placed any pressure or demands on Mr. Johnson to play football during this process. Decisions in relation to the pleas and the conduct of the trial have been left entirely to Mr. Johnson and his highly experienced and skilled legal team. Mr. Johnson has admitted in evidence that he changed his plea “on legal advice”.
