This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2016/feb/15/adam-johnson-met-teenage-girl-for-kiss-and-more-court-told

The article has changed 7 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 0 Version 1
Adam Johnson met teenage girl for 'kiss and more', court told Adam Johnson trial: 'teenager felt awkward after alleged groping'
(35 minutes later)
A 15-year-old schoolgirl told police she felt shocked and worried after allegedly being groped by the footballer Adam Johnson.
A teenage girl has described how she met up with England footballer Adam Johnson for a “thank you kiss and more” after he signed football shirts for her. Jurors at the trial of the England star, 28, watched a video of the teenager’s first police interview on 27 February 2015 at Bradford crown court.
The girl’s account was given to police and a video recording of the interview was played at the former Sunderland midfielder’s trial at Bradford crown court. The girl, who cannot be named, described how she avoided meeting up again with former Sunderland player Johnson because she “knew it was wrong” and felt “awkward” after an alleged sexual encounter in his car. However, she said she was reluctant to go to the police.
Johnson, 28, denies two counts of sexual activity with the girl, who was 15 at the time of the alleged incident. Asked how she felt after the alleged sexual activity on 30 January last year, she told the police officer: “I would say I was a bit shocked. As much as I was expecting it to happen I was still shocked it was.
The jury watched the girl’s police interview, during which she described how Johnson was her favourite footballer. “I got a message from Sunderland player Adam Johnson, who I’d idolised for quite a while,” she said. “I was a bit worried because I knew I had done something wrong. It wasn’t that I didn’t want … it’s just I knew it was wrong. I’m not one for being able to hold guilt.”
The girl said that, after exchanging messages with Johnson, she first met the footballer on 17 January 2015, when he signed two Sunderland shirts for her. She explained how the player continued to message her, talking about getting a “thank you kiss”. The girl, who “idolised” the footballer, added: “I didn’t want anything to be done about it – I just wanted to drop it, but my mum said what he’s done is wrong.”
“I was well up for it. It was a surreal type of thing,” she told police. “I met up with him again. I gave him his thank you kiss and more,” she said. Johnson denies two counts of sexual activity with a child. He has admitted one count of grooming and one count of sexual activity with a child.
Last week, the jury heard Johnson admit one count of sexual activity with a child and another of grooming. He denies two further counts of sexual activity with a child, which prosecutors have described as “more serious”. The schoolgirl was interviewed at Durham police station, with the footage shown in court during the second day of the trial.
She described what is said to have happened when the pair met behind a Chinese takeaway in County Durham – weeks after he accepted her friend request on Facebook.
“I was kissing him for quite a while. Then he undid my button on my trousers and my zip and it took him quite a while to do that. He put his hand down my trousers and started, like, putting his hands in my knickers,” she said.
“That went on for quite a while. Then he stopped for a bit then he put his hand down again. Then he started to put my hand down his trousers, but I put my hand back a bit but then he put my hand back on over this trousers.
“I said ‘haven’t you got to go’ because it was nearly six – it was after the time he said he had to go – and I tried to bring it to and end because it was getting slightly awkward and stuff.”
She described how Johnson sent her further texts on Whatsapp after the alleged sexual encounter, wanting to meet up again.
“He sent me more messages offering to meet up and asked to meet the next day, but I was with friends. It wasn’t that I didn’t want to, but I was a bit hesitant because I knew it was wrong. I just said I was going out for a meal. Then everyone started to find out about it,” the girl told police.
She described how she “broke down” and confided in her parents when schoolfriends learned out about her and Johnson. She was taken to a police station by her mother and a family friend, the jury heard.
The court has already heard that Johnson allegedly knew the girl was 15 within hours of them exchanging messages on New Year’s Eve 2014.
Days after the alleged sexual touching, Johnson is said to have searched the internet for “legal age of consent”.
The trial continues.