Adam Johnson victim's statement: 15-year-old says guilty verdict 'shows everyone I was telling the truth'

'It’s been the hardest year of my life and I’ve had to face so much abuse after he claimed his innocence'

Adam Johnson's 15-year-old victim has said her life has been turned upside down, making her lose confidence and causing her school work to suffer.

A Jury at Bradford Crown Court found Johnson guilty of one count of sexual activity with a child. They had earlier cleared him of having oral sex with the girl.

Johnson had previously admitted grooming the girl and plead guilty to one count of sexual activity with a child on the first day of his trial.

In a statement read out by police, the girl said: "From the very beginning of all of this I always doubted that people would believe me.

"I was talking to Adam Johnson, it was surreal for me. He was my favourite football player for Sunderland, a club I was a massive supporter of. As a Sunderland fan I absolutely idolised Adam."

She was "in shock and disbelief" when he messaged her, she said, and was "absolutely over the moon" when he offered her a signed shirt.

She says he immediately asked her age and she told him she had only just turned 15.

The sexual activity charges arose from a meeting between Johnson and the girl in his Range Rover in County Durham in January last year.

The charges arose from a meeting between Johnson and the girl in his Range Rover (Durham Police)

The inside of Adam Johnson's Range Rover (Durham Police)

He admitted kissing the girl, but told the jury the encounter "went no further".

But she told the court he "put his hands down her pants" and she performed oral sex on him - he has now been found guilty on the first charge but cleared of the second.

She added: "I felt used and let down by him.

"It’s been the hardest year of my life and I’ve had to face so much abuse after he claimed his innocence. I was made out to be a liar, if anything, I held things back because I didn’t want all of 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."

Discussing the impact of the trial, she said: "There are people out there who have made assumptions about me and that alone has been hard to deal with. I have been unable to defend myself publicly.

"The gossip on social media and hearing all of the horrible names that people have been calling me has been devastating to me, my friends and my family.

"Him being found guilty shows everyone I was telling the truth. I hope people can see that everything is not always as it first seems and opinions should only be based on facts and not on rumours."

Adam Johnson's mugshot (PA)

Johnson now faces up to 10 years in prison, with a starting point of five years.

The Judge said: "I am admitting you bail so you can get your affairs in order and can say goodbye to your daughter.

"On account of your prison sentence you will not see her for some time."

The 15-year-old finished her statement by saying: "I hope Adam realises the hurt and damage he has caused. I want to put this awful experience behind me and begin to rebuild my life.

"I hope I can move on from this and look to the future."