- Footballer Adam Johnson appeared in court today for five-minute hearing
- He has been charged with grooming and sexual activity with a girl, 15
- Father-of-one's solicitor, Paul Morris, indicated he would plead not guilty
- £60,000-a-week Sunderland star had date moved so he could play Arsenal
England footballer Adam Johnson appeared in court today to face charges of grooming and sexual activity with a 15-year-old girl.
The
27-year-old Sunderland star arrived hand-in-hand with his girlfriend
Stacey Flounders, 25, at Peterlee Magistrates' Court, County Durham, for
his first hearing after he was charged last month.
During
the five-minute hearing, his solicitor, Paul Morris, indicated he would
plead not guilty, but no pleas were entered today.
He
was originally due to appear in court on Wednesday but the date was
brought forward by two days so the £60,000-a-week winger could play
against Arsenal on Wednesday night.
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Premier League star Adam Johnson
appeared hand-in-hand with his girlfriend Stacey Flounders as he arrived
at Peterlee Magistrates' Court, County Durham, to face child sex
charges
The Sunderland star grinned as he left
the court after a five-minute hearing which saw his solicitor, Paul
Morris, indicate he would plead not guilty
The winger, who has a three-month-old daughter, spoke only to confirm his name, date of birth and address.
Wearing a dark suit and a white open-necked shirt, he did not comment as he left court and was driven away in a Range Rover.
He was arrested in March after he was accused of sexual activity with a 15-year-old girl.
He has been charged with three counts of sexual activity with a child which were said to have taken place in January.
The father-of-one was also charged with meeting a child after sexual grooming between December and February.
The case was sent to Durham Crown Court for a preliminary hearing on June 3.
He appeared at court today to face charges of grooming and sexual activity with a 15-year-old girl
The Sunderland star, who has a
three-month-old daughter, was arrested in March after he was accused of
sexual activity with a 15-year-old girl
The winger was
suspended by the club pending the outcome of the police inquiry, but
then returned to the first team squad, pictured playing against Everton
on May 9
Johnson, who has played 12 times for England, lives in a mansion in leafy Castle Eden, County Durham.
Police
carried out searches of the £1.5million property in March this year,
and also visited Sunderland's Academy of Light training base.
The
winger was suspended by the club pending the outcome of the police
inquiry, but then returned to the first team squad after the departure
of Gus Poyet.
A
spokeswoman for North Durham magistrates confirmed the court date had
been moved at the request of Johnson's legal team, and agreed by the
Crown Prosecution Service.
She said: 'The request was received from the defence team due to work commitments.
'The case was brought forward with the consent of the CPS.'
The
Crown Prosecution Service confirmed the charges against Johnson on
April 24, and again issued a warning to social media users not to
identify the alleged victim.
The
change of date means he is available for selection for the Black Cats'
crucial game with Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium on Wednesday evening.
Born
in Sunderland, Johnson began his career at Middlesbrough before moving
to Manchester City and then Sunderland for £10million in 2012.
Police carried out searches of the
£1.5million property (pictured) in March this year, and also visited
Sunderland's Academy of Light training base
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