Katie Hopkins, the British columnist famed for courting controversy and finishing in third place on The Apprentice in 2007, has once again come in for backlash on Twitter after making comments about the 15-year-old victim groomed by footballer Adam Johnson.
Johnson pleaded guilty to charges that he had knowingly groom the girl for sexual activity, fully aware that she was under the legal age of 16. The former Sunderland winger was last week found guilty of sexual activity with a child, and is expected to face jail time when he returns to court for sentencing in two weeks.
In a series of posts on Twitter relating to his guilt, Hopkins alluded that the England footballer was the victim of the 15-year-old child he had admitted to grooming for sex, with Hopkins telling her 600,000 followers to “look up the definition of paedophile.”
Yesterday, the reality TV star and columnist took to Twitter to cast aspersions on the role of Johnson’s victim, claiming that the girl merely wished to impress her friends by sleeping with a footballer.
A child? YOU ARE KIDDING ME? Looking to impress her mates by snagging a footballer. Hey presto. From slag to wag. https://t.co/ttFS1uQ7vG
— Katie Hopkins (@KTHopkins) March 6, 2016
The tweet has since seen a barrage of replies, with many of those suggesting that Hopkins’ comments verge on victim blaming and trolling.
@KTHopkins Your continued abuse of this girl is appalling. How u can defend a convicted sex offender is amazing.
— Hairylemon (@shields33) March 6, 2016
Adam Johnson’s high-profile conviction made headlines across the UK last week, with the Crown Prosecution Service releasing a statement. In it, the CPS states:
“Adam Johnson knew that what he was doing was wrong and went to great lengths to hide it. He encouraged his young victim to delete any traces of their online contact and, when she reported what had happened to police, he initially claimed to be unaware of her true age and told police that he had only ever kissed her.
“While he eventually admitted to those charges for which there was overwhelming documentary evidence, he continued to deny the true extent of their sexual contact.
“The victim in this case has endured months of abuse and personal attacks online. Had Adam Johnson wished to do so, he could have spared her further alarm and distress. I would like to thank her for her bravery in coming forward and giving evidence.”
Hopkins’ opinion on the case remains unchanged:
My latest column @MailOnline @DailyMailUK with you soon. 'From slag to wag to victim - quite a journey for one so *coughs* young.
— Katie Hopkins (@KTHopkins) March 7, 2016
