Matthew Johns responds to sex allegation

Former NRL star and rugby league television personality Matthew Johns has been
forced to respond to an allegation of sexual misconduct while he was a player with
Cronulla seven years ago.
Several Sharks players were investigated for sexual assault and cleared by police
during an away trip to New Zealand in 2002, the Nine Network reported on Thursday.
The report said the woman at the centre of the allegations would speak publicly
about them on the ABC's Four Corners program.
The woman says she had group sex with several Cronulla players at a Christchurch
hotel and it had left her with psychological damage.
"It happened seven years ago and caused great pain to my wife and family," Johns
told Nine.
"It took us a long time to get through it and it pains me that they have to go
through it again."
Johns, who is an employee of the Nine Network and the face of the NRL's membership
drive advertisement, will appear on the network on Thursday night.