Chelsea involved in child sex abuse scandal ~ Vivid04

The child sex abuse scandal that has rocked the English football world has taken a new twist after a former player accused one of the world's biggest clubs of buying his silence.

Gary Johnson, a player with Chelsea during the 1970s and 1980s, alleges the Premier League club paid him £50,000 and asked him to sign a confidentiality agreement last year to prevent any talk of his alleged abuse by former scout Eddie Heath.

Johnson, now 57, says Heath, who has since died, abused him sexually from the age of 13 and, during an interview with the English newspaper The Daily Mirror, he accuses Chelsea of trying to cover up the story.

Tomorrow's front page: Chelsea paid me £50,000 to keep sex abuse secret #tomorrowspaperstoday pic.twitter.com/iSvCy1cqH0

— Daily Mirror (@DailyMirror) December 1, 2016

"I think that they were paying me to keep a lid on this," he told the newspaper.

"Millions of fans around the world watch Chelsea. They are one of the biggest and richest clubs in the world," he continued.

"All their fans deserve to know the truth about what went on. I know they asked me to sign a gagging order and how many others are there out there?"

He added, "They may have paid others for their silence. I hope and pray no clubs are allowed to cover this up -- no one should escape justice. We need total transparency now for the good of the game."

Investigation

On Tuesday, Chelsea said it had started an investigation into allegations concerning an individual who worked at the club during the 1970s who is no longer alive.

CNN requested comment from Chelsea on the specific allegations made by Johnson but has yet to receive a reply.

But in a statement posted to their website Tuesday, the club said: "Chelsea Football Club has retained an external law firm to carry out an investigation concerning an individual employed by the club in the 1970s, who is now deceased."

The club also said it has contacted the English Football Association, known simply as the FA, "to ensure that all possible assistance is provided as part of their wider investigation. This will include providing the FA with any relevant information arising out of the club's investigation."

The statement goes on to say the club will make no further comment on the matter while the investigation is ongoing.