Ex-England winger Johnson guilty of under-age sex charge

Former England and Sunderland winger Adam Johnson was found guilty of one count of sexual activity with a child at a court in northern England on Wednesday.

The 28-year-old had previously admitted to grooming a 15-year-old girl and one charge of sexual activity with her, relating to an incident when he kissed her in his Range Rover.

He was cleared of one more serious charge of sexual activity with a child regarding an oral sex act, but found guilty of a second charge of sexual touching by a majority verdict of 10-2.

The judge at Bradford Crown Court said a custodial sentence was "almost inevitable" and told Johnson he was likely to face a jail term of between four and 10 years.

The player was granted bail and will be sentenced in two to three weeks.

Johnson, who wore a black suit, white shirt and black tie, sat in the dock between two security guards and did not appear to react to the verdicts.

He was sacked by Premier League employers Sunderland last month.

The charges related to an incident that occurred after he picked the girl up in County Durham, northeast England on January 30 last year.

Johnson began his career with Middlesbrough and returned to his native northeast in 2012 when he joined Sunderland from Manchester City in a £10 million ($15.3 million, 13.7 million euros) transfer.

He has beeK capped 12 times by England, making his last international appearance in February 2012.

SourcEE: AFP