It has been 10 years since former England winger Adam Johnson was jailed for having sex with a 15-year-old boy.
Adam Johnson and long-time partner Stacey Flanders on trial (Image: Getty Images)
It’s been 10 years since disgraced footballer Adam Johnson was sent to prison. The 38-year-old remains banned from the game after being sentenced to six years in prison after being found guilty of sex and child grooming with a 15-year-old Sunderland fan.
The former Manchester City, Sunderland and Middlesbrough player was found guilty of a further charge of sexual activity with a child and acquitted of a second charge of the same offence. He served half of his sentence in prison and was released on license in March 2019.
During his time at City, Johnson lived in a £4 million mansion previously owned by Cristiano Ronaldo and earned £80,000 a week. However, the early end to his football career is thought to have cost him around £10 million in income and sponsorship deals, although he had already earned enough to be financially stable for the rest of his life.
He put his life back together with the help of his partner and mother of his two children, Stacey Flounders. She initially stood by Johnson during the trial before abandoning him. But they came together again during the pandemic and resettled in the Northeast.
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Previously living in a £1.8 million six-bedroom property in a gated community, he has downsized to a more modest £470,000 home, but still lives a very comfortable life. Johnson is not working and is often seen playing golf at local clubs.
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Anonymous family members told the Daily Mail that their lifestyle helped Flanders overcome doubts about the relationship. They said: “Money may also be involved. He hasn’t worked since his football career ended.
“He saved enough money during his playing career that he can live a very good life without worrying. They have a great life. The children won’t want anything.”
Johnson’s aunt, Eileen Welsh, described him as “happy” and said he “keeps busy and has lots of friends.” He has been spotted in local pubs and locals refer to him as an “average type”. One person said: “I’ve seen him here a few times since then, mostly with his family, and he seems like a normal guy.”
Johnson once earned tens of thousands of pounds a week (Image: Getty Images)
Former teammates now describe him as a “typical suburban dad” with a newfound “calmness and acceptance.” They added that he was “finally tamed.”
Flanders, a former stewardess, is said to have done so. She does not believe he is a pedophile and told the Mail in 2019 that he was a sex addict. She said: ‘To be honest, I don’t think of Adam as a pedophile.
“To me, a pedophile is someone who abuses small, young children. I think he was a sex addict. He told me he was a sex addict.”
Flanders is credited with having ‘tamed’ Johnson (Image: Getty Images)
A school friend of Flanders told the Mail why she stayed with Johnson: “After he was released, it didn’t look like they would be able to get back together again, but a year after Johnson was released, the pandemic hit and things gradually changed.
“He missed the early years of his life in prison and was desperate to make up for lost time with his daughter. He is a devoted father and that is why they were able to try again. They now have a second child and are a very happy family.”
Despite lobbying various clubs to sign him, Johnson has not been able to revive his career. He is now in his late 30s and is unlikely to play again.
