Adam Johnson felt ‘stupid’ for kissing teenager, court hears

The court heard that Johnson and the girl began communicating on Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, and the footballer allegedly set up a second Snapchat account so his girlfriend would not discover his activities.

Former Sunderland footballer Adam Johnson asked police whether kissing is a form of sexual activity in his first interview after he was arrested on child sex charges.

The unnamed witness told Bradford Crown Court that she had not believed her friend (15) who had told her that she had had sexual contact with the former England, Sunderland and Manchester City winger.

He confirmed to Kate Blackwell QC, prosecuting, that he had carried out “downloads” on two phones used by the complainant in the case, three belonging to her friends and the iPhone 6 seized from Johnson upon his arrest.

When Johnson spoke to his girlfriend, he told Miss Flounders the girl’s name and that “I just gave her a couple of shirts”.

Det Con Walton told the jury: “At the time of the caution and arrest of Adam Johnson he was stood by a bar area”.

Friend 2 also said in evidence that the girl told her parents about the activity between her and Johnson after people started to talk about it.

Johnson denied he had touched the girl sexually, or that she had touched him and said he “couldn’t believe” she was saying these things had happened because she seemed like a “nice person”.

In interview, Johnson told officers that he often signs things for fans and that this girl was “always supporting me” and didn’t give him “stick”. He said: “She might, like, say to my girlfriend and if word gets about that she’s been kissing me and getting shirts it would be really bad”.

He said: “She came into the vehicle and she said about a thank you kiss”.

He added. “I was a bit upset with myself, I shouldn’t be doing that”. Johnson told the police the kiss did involve tongues.

But the girl said her friend then showed her “20 times” messages on her phone from the 28-year-old father of one.

The footballer told police his girlfriend Stacey Flounders knew he had a history of texting other girls when he was arrested.

The player has pleaded guilty to one count of grooming the teenager and another of sexual activity with a child.

Hunton said a Google search for the phrase “legal age of consent” was followed by another web address, which appeared to show that the user had clicked on a result that took him to The Mirror newspaper’s website.

The court also heard that the footballer admitted setting up a separate Snapchat account through which he communicated with the girl.

The jury were told he said: ‘It was mainly so my girlfriend wouldn’t be suspicious.

He said they had had problems in the past with him “texting girls and stuff”.

Hunton said the search result that was clicked appeared to be entitled “What is the age of consent around the world?”

Police computer and phones expert Paul Hunton told the jury that a Google search for “legal age of consent” was made on Johnson’s phone four days after their January 30 meeting previous year. “From Angola at 12 to Bahrain at 21” which was opened on Johnson’s phone.