Adam Johnson: Girl Had 'Enormous Crush On Him'
England footballer Adam Johnson "abused his revered position in society" when he had sexual contact with a 15-year-old fan who had an "enormous crush on him", a court has heard.
The 28-year-old is accused of two counts of sexual activity with a child - a girl who "idolised" her favourite Sunderland player - between December 2014 and February last year.
Opening the prosecution case, Kate Blackwell QC said: "What has brought the defendant to this courtroom is a sexual desire for (the girl), an excessive arrogance and an unwarranted level of expectation."
Jurors at Bradford Crown Court heard the girl contacted Johnson on Facebook.
He asked for her mobile phone number, gave her his and asked her to contact him.
The girl was 15 in December 2014, a time when Johnson lived with his partner, Stacey Flounders, who was then pregnant with their daughter, in Castle Eden, County Durham.
The pair exchanged messages on WhatsApp which he later asked her to delete, but she did not.
Johnson arranged to meet the teenager so he could sign a football shirt.
The court heard she made it clear she was a Year 10 student but everyone thought she looked older.
The pair met near a Chinese takeaway on 17 January in the footballer's black Range Rover and he signed shirts.
Afterwards, they exchanged further messages talking about whether Johnson deserved a "thank you kiss" for the shirt-signing "or more".
They met again on 30 January when they had sexual contact in the footballer's car at the same location.
Miss Blackwell told the jury the pair kissed "for some time during which the defendant unbuttoned her jeans and undid the zip".
He then drove them to "a more secluded place" where there was further sexual contact between the pair.
After the encounter Johnson messaged the girl saying "it was class", adding: "Just wanted to get your jeans off, LOL."
The teenager replied: "Next time."
The victim was a season ticket holder who rarely missed a home game and "would hang around waiting for a glimpse" of Johnson.
"She had one enormous crush on him. He was her absolute hero. She idolised him," the prosecutor said.
Rumours about their relationship got out and the teenager told her parents who went to the police and they arrested Johnson on 2 March last year.
Johnson, who was sacked by Sunderland AFC on Thursday, denies the charges.
