Convicted sex offender Adam Johnson engaged to partner who left him before prison

Former England international Adam Johnson has reportedly become engaged to Stacey Flounders, his long-term partner, seven years after his release from prison for grooming and engaging in sexual activity with a 15-year-old girl. The ex-Manchester City and Sunderland winger served three years of a six-year sentence handed down in 2016.

Flounders, 36, had ended the relationship shortly after Johnson was charged with the offences, and the pair split further ahead of his court case after he admitted to being unfaithful with at least 12 other women. Court documents revealed that Johnson and the teenage victim had exchanged 834 WhatsApp messages, during which she told him she was in Year 10 at school, with details of sexual activity in his car also disclosed during proceedings.

According to The Sun, which first reported the engagement, a source close to the couple said: “Stacey and her inner circle have put Adam’s time behind bars well behind them and are really excited for the next chapter of their lives. Their family and friends are over the moon for them and wedding planning is in full swing. They’ve been through a lot as a family and this feels like the perfect way to leave the memory of the hard times in the past and focus on a happy future with their two kids.”

Flounders was pregnant with the couple’s daughter, Ayla, in 2014 at the time Johnson began making contact with the victim. The pair are believed to have rekindled their relationship in 2020, welcoming a second child together the following year.

In a 2019 interview with the Daily Mail, Flounders said she did not regard Johnson as a paedophile, stating: “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.”

Following his release from prison, Johnson issued a public statement: “I am very sorry for the effect my conduct had on those directly and indirectly involved. It should never have happened and I deeply regret what I did. I now want to concentrate on the future and want to demonstrate through my actions that I am committed to repaying them for their support.”

Johnson earned £80,000 per week during his time at Manchester City, where he lived in a £4 million mansion previously owned by Cristiano Ronaldo. The abrupt end to his professional career is estimated to have cost him approximately £10 million in lost earnings and sponsorship deals.