Adam Johnson found guilty on one count of sexual activity with a child, faces prison sentence

The 28-year-old admitted grooming a 15-year-old girl and sexual activity with the teenager, relating to kissing her in his Range Rover, but denied the two more serious charges of sexual activity with a child, one involving oral sex and another involving digital penetration.

He was cleared of the oral sex charge on Wednesday afternoon but the jury were unable to return a unanimous verdict on the other.

That meant that the jury at Bradford Crown Court were told that the judge would accept a majority verdict on the second count, with the former England winger found guilty by 10-2.

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Johnson, who will appeal the verdict, has been bailed with sentencing expected in two to three weeks. He was told a custodial sentence was an "almost inevitable outcome" and is facing up to 10 years in prison, with a starting point of five years.

"In our football-obsessed region Adam Johnson had a responsibility as a professional footballer to be a role model, a role he did not fulfil," Detective Inspector Aelfwynn Sampson told reporters outside court.

"He knew very early on in this case how old the victim was and continued to contact her and continued to be in contact with her and arrange to meet her."

In a statement issued through the police the girl, who cannot be named for legal reasons, said she had suffered abuse and felt used.

"He was my favourite football player at Sunderland, a club I was a massive supporter of," she said in the statement. "Him being found guilty and pleading guilty shows everyone that I was telling the truth."