Inside paedophile footballer Adam Johnson’s ‘good life’ now again with girlfriend and youngsters

Disgraced paedophile footballer Adam Johnson was jailed for six years after sexually abusing a child, but a decade later is back with his ex-girlfriend and mum of his two children living “a nice life”

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Paedophile ex-footballer Adam Johnson was forgiven and taken back by his ex-girlfriend when he was released from jail after sexually abusing a teenager.

The former England player once earned £80,000 a week, drove supercars, dated glamour models and lived in Manchester United icon Cristiano Ronaldo’s old £4million mansion. The ex-Manchester City, Sunderland and Middlesbrough star was one of the Premier League’s top wingers, with the world at his feet, but that would all come crashing down in disgrace.

He ended up behind bars after it emerged he had groomed a besotted schoolgirl and Sunderland fan, aged just 15 – knowing full well her age. They exchanged more than 800 texts, he gave her a signed shirt and requested ‘more than a kiss’ in return, then met up and molested her. His humiliated partner and mother of his daughter, Stacey Flounders, initially accompanied the then 28-year-old to court at the start of a trial.

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But the glamourous former air hostess ditched her pervert partner when the sickening nature of his crimes was laid bare in 2016, before he was convicted and locked up for six years. Yet they reunited after he was freed from prison in 2019, after serving half of that term.

Now – a decade since he was sent to prison – the Daily Mail has detailed how Johnson has rebuilt his life with Stacey and lives a “Mr Average” existence with his family in County Durham – despite having lost an estimated £10m in earnings and sponsorship deals.

Johnson pleaded guilty to grooming the girl and one charge of sexual activity. But he denied a further accusation of sexually touching the girl, only to be found guilty after a trial. The court heard the victim, who cannot be named for legal reasons, took an overdose after two days of harrowing cross-examination, suffered “night terrors” and required therapy.

Ms Flounders, who had previously stood by her man and arrived hand-in-hand at court with the footballer, said: “I knew then that Adam was an arrogant man who had lied and lied. He’d known this girl’s age. He’d sent her hundreds of messages. It was horrific.”

When released from prison, Johnson did not play football again. The Daily Mail reports that in the words of one former team-mate, he is now “a typical suburban dad”, who has accepted the end of his career and infamy with “calm and acceptance”. Another friend reportedly claims that he has “finally been tamed”.

Johnson’s aunt, Irene Welsh, 66, told the Daily Mail: “Adam is happy and he’s been able to rebuild his life after everything he has been through. He has been back with Stacey for a while now and they concentrate on their children. He keeps himself busy and has a lot of friends. He likes his golf and being with his family, and he has a close family around him.”

According to the Mail, Ms Flounders, now 36, has never believed Johnson – who remains on the sex offenders register – was a paedophile. The trial judge accepted the opinion of experts that the former football posed no risk to children.

Speaking to the Mail in 2019, Ms Flounders said: “To be honest, I don’t see Adam as a paedophile. For me a paedophile is somebody who abuses tiny young children. I think that he was a sex addict. He told me he was a sex addict.”

Johnson met up with his victim in early 2015. He asked the Year 10 student to delete texts including him asking for a topless picture, kissed her and on a later occasion sexually touched her. As he drove away he messaged the girl saying “next time” they should go in the back of his Range Rover because he “just wanted to get your jeans off”. Less than a minute earlier he had text Ms Flounders in reply to a picture she sent of their baby daughter and said “she looks class”.

A psychiatric specialist told the trial that Johnson had “a cognitive distortion due to being a footballer and the attention he received from women as a result”. Experts branded him “socially and psychologically immature”, while the court heard he secretly met young women after training for sex and saw his victim as “just another girl, another opportunity”.

The Daily Mail reports that Ms Flounders was persuaded to give Johnson a second chance, which according to a friend of the mum, was in order to “give their children a stable upbringing”.

The friend is said to have told the Mail: “He was anxious to make up for lost time with his daughter, having missed the early part of her life in jail. He’s a committed dad and that’s why they were able to try again. They now have a second child and they are very much a happy family.”

Johnson is now said to spend his days playing golf near their £470,000 home in the North East, having previously lived together in a £1.8m mansion.

He is reportedly often seen carrying out the school run in his BMW and relies on money he saved during his playing days, which the Mail reports means the couple enjoy “a very good lifestyle”, with a family member adding: “They have a nice life, the children won’t want for anything.”

The Mail reports Johnson now socialises in quiet country pubs and at his golf club. And having had a second child with Ms Flounders -a baby boy – in 2021. A friend told the Mail: “They had a second child and are very much a happy family.”