SIR TUNA'S WORLD OF SPORTS: Sunderland star charged with having sexual activity with a 15 year old


Adam Johnson leaves Peterlee police station after being charged with three offences of sexual activity


Johnson was accompanied by his lawyer as the Sunderland winger arrived at the police station on Thursday

Adam Johnson has been charged with three offences of sexual activity with a 15-year-old girl and one of grooming.

The 27-year-old – who answered bail at Peterlee police station in County Durham on Thursday – will now appear at Peterlee Magistrates Court on May 20.

A statement from Durham Police said: ‘Adam Johnson, a professional footballer aged 27 from Castle Eden, County Durham has this afternoon been charged with three offences of sexual activity with a child under 16 years old, plus one offence of grooming.

Johnson was initially arrested on Monday, 2nd March and was charged after he answered his police bail today (Thursday) at Peterlee police station.

‘He will appear at the magistrates court in Peterlee on the morning of Wednesday, May 20th.’

Gerry Wareham, CPS Chief Crown Prosecutor for the North East, said he believed there was a realistic prospect of conviction and it was in the public interest for him to be charged.

'Following an investigation by Durham Police, I have today authorised police to charge Adam Johnson, aged 27, with four offences under the Sexual Offences Act 2003. The offences are alleged to have been committed on one girl aged 15 at the time,' he said.

'Adam Johnson was arrested on 2 March this year.

'We have reviewed the available evidence in accordance with the Code for Crown Prosecutors and concluded that there is a realistic prospect of conviction and it is in the public interest to charge Adam Johnson with one offence of meeting a child following sexual grooming, contrary to Section 15 of the Sexual Offences Act 2003 and three offences of sexual activity with a child, contrary to Section 9 of the Sexual Offence Act 2003. The alleged offences date from 30 December 2014 to 26 February 2015.


He was driven to the police station in a silver 4x4 before entering to answer his bail

Durham Police have charged the defendant accordingly and he is due to appear before Peterlee Magistrates on 20 May.

'May I remind all concerned that the defendant has a right to a fair trial. It is very important that there should be no reporting, commentary or sharing of information online which could in any way prejudice these proceedings.

'I would also remind people that the complainant in this case is entitled to lifelong anonymity under the law. For these reasons, it would be inappropriate for me to comment further.'

The former England international was suspended by Sunderland pending the outcome of the police investigation after he was initially arrested at his £1.85million mansion on March 2 on suspicion of sexual activity with a 15-year-old girl.


The £1.85million house in the North East where Johnson was arrested in March


Johnson pictured with his girlfriend Stacey Flounders in 2012 after Manchester City won the Premier League

However, his club suspension was lifted on March 18 following news that his bail had been extended by five weeks and he has featured as a substitute in Sunderland’s last three matches, including the 1-0 Tyne-Wear derby win over Newcastle.

Three unmarked police cars, a police van, several plain-clothes officers and a forensics team were seen at Johnson’s luxurious home, close to a quiet hamlet in County Durham, and he was questioned at Peterlee police station before being bailed until April 23.

Sunderland-born Johnson, whose long-time girlfriend Stacey Flounders gave birth to daughter Ayla Sofia in January, signed for the club for £10m from Manchester City in 2012.

He has scored 20 times in 116 games for the club, including the winner at Newcastle in this season’s Tyne-Wear derby.


The Black Cats winger has made three Premier League appearances under new boss Dick Advocaat (right)


The winger played 81 minutes of Sunderland's 2-0 defeat by Manchester United shortly before being arrested

The former City man has scored 20 goals for the Black Cats since signing for the club in 2012


Winger Johnson scored a late winner against Newcastle United at St James' Park last December

As revealed by Sportsmail last month, police raided the dressing rooms at the Stadium of Light and Sunderland's training ground as part of their probe into Johnson.

It is also understood that all Sunderland staff were called into meetings following Johnson's arrest and warned away from posting anything about it on social media and from speaking to the press.

A source said: 'You don't expect to see police officers in a dressing room and quite a few people at the club were shocked by it. They were looking for things such as second mobile phones and notes, anything that would help them, really.'

They added: 'All staff were called into meetings and told in no uncertain terms that they were not to put anything on things like Twitter and Facebook and not to talk to the press about it under any circumstances.'

The 27-year-old had been training at home in a bid to keep fit after being suspended by Sunderland while the investigation continued.

The Black Cats had been sending a fitness coach to Johnson’s two-acre woodland pad to oversee private workouts before the winger was put back into the first-team fold by Sunderland boss Dick Advocaat.

Sunderland are yet to confirm if the player will not be available for selection in light of the charges.