Judge Rose: "You made a deliberate decision to engage in sexual activity with this young girl"

Before sentencing at Bradford Crown Court, Judge Rose addressed Adam Johnson, talking about the impact his crimes had had on his victim.

The judge said the victim had been a Sunderland fan who would wait after matches to take pictures of her "favourite player", Johnson, who had known her age.

"That was known to you - to put it another way she had only just turned 15 when you began grooming her, because as you were to admit you found her sexually attractive."

He added that the footballer's intention had been to engage in sexual activity with her, knowing that she was under 16.

The judge said Johnson had exchanged more than 800 messages with her, which had largely been innocent.

But he added:

"You continued in your grooming of this girl even after you were engaged in sexual activity with her. You wanted no one to know that you and she were exchanging messages.

"You asked her to find a place to meet that was private and secluded so no one would see you in her company."

Judge Rose told Johnson the offences happened "at a time when you were engaged in frequent sexual intercourse with multiple partners".

He said:

"You made a deliberate decision to engage in sexual activity with this young girl, no doubt in the expectation that you would get away with it."

"Your future as a professional footballer must be in doubt."

The judge said Johnson's decision not to plead guilty meant that the girl was subjected to a year of being called a liar, including having this being chanted by football fans.

He said she reached her "lowest ebb" after giving evidence in the trial.

Judge Rose said the aggravating factors included the secluded location of the offence, Johnson's "disposal" of social media evidence and attempts to stop the girl reporting the matter.

"She speaks of entering many dark places in that year and said she had suffered bullying and stress and had underachieved at school as a result of the case."

The judge also said Johnson must pay £50,000 of the prosecution's £67,132 court costs.