Former England soccer player Adam Johnson, 28, has been found guilty of sexual activity with a minor. He will soon receive a “substantial prison sentence.”
Johnson pleaded guilty to one count of sexual activity with a 15-year-old girl and another of “grooming” her over social media, which means that he tried to build an emotional connection with the girl to gain trust and have sexual intercourses.
Both counts were denied by the soccer player. On Wednesday, the jury cleared of one count but convicted of the other one by a majority of 10-2. He is likely to receive a range of four to 10 years in jail for the sentence.
Johnson was given bail by Judge Jonathan Rose, who warned him: “You must understand that when you return here at the end of March you will receive a substantial prison sentence,” as reported by Shropshire Star.
The judge justified giving him the bail by allowing him to say goodbye to his baby daughter since he will not be able to see her when he is in jail.
This incident also caused his contract in Sunderland to be terminated immediately.
Who is this 15-year-old girl?
The teenager’s identity cannot be made public since she is a minor.
Johnson and the girl met in County Durham on January 30 last year. They began exchanging hundreds of messages on social media at New Year 2015. They first agreed to meet to sign a football shirt but had a second meeting in which he asked her for a “thank you kiss”.
The soccer player was the teenager’s idol, however, she felt ‘used and let down by him” after the incident.
The girl said that this year has been really hard for her and she had to face so much after he claimed his innocence. She cannot hide her feelings and cries because she has felt broken.
Source: NBC Sports