Rebecca Turner
BBC North East

Our live coverage has now finished for the day, a day in which former Sunderland, Man City and Middlesbrough footballer Adam Johnson was warned he faces a long prison sentence for sexual activity with a schoolgirl. 

The 28-year-old, who'd previously pleaded guilty to grooming and kissing the 15-year-old fan, was today found guilty of sexual touching. He was cleared of a further count of sexual activity.

Here is the full story of what happened:

• Judge Jonathan Rose warns Johnson he faces jail  
• How a multimillionaire international threw his career away
• Victim tells of 'hardest year of my life'
• Sunderland deny knowing he would admit grooming
• Durham Police tell of a man who 'failed as a role model'

Image source, Getty Images

We'll be back tomorrow from 08:00 for more updates from across the North East. We hope you can join us then.  

BBC Look North
North East and Cumbria

Young victims of grooming can suffer a "traumatising" effect when they are exploited, an expert says.

Following Adam Johnson's conviction for sexual activity with a child, Wendy Shepherd from Barnardo's spoke about the impact it can have.

She said: "(Victims are) still developing, they're still finding out about life. 

"They think they can do everything and they can cope with everything, and in reality they can't."

She added: "They're absolutely traumatised when they realise what's happened to them isn't a loving relationship, it's an exploitative relationship, they've been groomed and conned, and believe that they've been in love with this person, to find out actually they've been used. 

"That is a devastation to those young people."

Footballer Adam Johnson went to "great lengths" to try and cover up his sexual activity with a schoolgirl, prosecutors say.

Gerry Wareham, chief crown prosecutor for CPS North East, said: "Adam Johnson knew that what he was doing was wrong and went to great lengths to hide it. 

"He encouraged his young victim to delete any traces of their online contact and, when she reported what had happened to police, he initially claimed to be unaware of her true age and told police that he had only ever kissed her. 

"While he eventually admitted to those charges for which there was overwhelming documentary evidence, he continued to deny the true extent of their sexual contact."

Here's how some of the local newspapers in the North East of England are reporting the Adam Johnson verdict:

• The Gazette says he could be facing a decade in jail, external
• The Northern Echo reports on his 'arrogant and promiscuous' life, external
• The Sunderland Echo asks if he delayed pleading guilty to pocket £3m in wages, external

During the trial, Adam Johnson's own QC told jurors they may well agree with the prosecution's portrayal of his client as "immature, arrogant, promiscuous".

He made his senior debut as a 17-year-old substitute in Boro's 1-0 Uefa Cup defeat by Sporting Lisbon, and from there his career went from strength to strength: 

Coming from humble beginnings, Johnson found himself on a £60,000-a-week wage packet, owning luxury cars with personalised plates and an £1.8m, six-bedroom mansion in Castle Eden, County Durham.  

Adam Johnson's victim has told of her idolisation of the former Sunderland footballer.

In a statement read out by Det Con Kimberly Walton outside Bradford Crown Court, she said: "He was my hero. I attended the home games whenever I could.

"I was overwhelmed by all of this. This was my favourite player and he was texting me. I felt used and let down by him. 

"I was made out to be a liar, if anything, I held things back because I didn't want all of this to come out. 

"What happened in his car has turned my life upside down. I have lost all of my confidence. My school work has suffered. 

"The gossip on social media and hearing all of the horrible names that people have been calling me has been devastating to me, my friends and my family."

BBC Look North
North East and Cumbria

Watch the moment Adam Johnson refuses to apologise to a schoolgirl he groomed and sexually abused.

As he left court after being found guilty of one count of sexual activity with the 15-year-old, the disgraced former Sunderland footballer ignored our reporter who asked if he would say sorry to his victim.

See the footage here., external

Image source, Getty Images

In her statement, Adam Johnson's young victim also said: "I feel sad for Stacey (Johnson's former partner and mother of his child) and what she has been through.

"I hope Adam realises the hurt and damage he has caused.

"I hope I can move on from this and look to the future."

The true impact of Adam Johnson's behaviour on his young teenage victim was revealed outside court.

Det Con Kimberly Walton read out a statement from the schoolgirl following the guilty verdict for the former Sunderland winger.

It said: "There have been times when I've wanted to hide away from the world. There have been times I haven't felt able to face people.

"There have been times when I've tried not to show people how upset I am, but sometimes it hasn't been possible and I'd just cry. I've felt so broken."

Peter Harris
BBC Look North

Is Adam Johnson arrogant, stupid or immature? All three were suggested in court and when he took to the witness box he owned up to each one.

Yet Johnson's demeanour was not of the swaggering, millionaire footballer.

His voice was soft and low and at one point he appeared close to tears as he spoke of letting down his partner, Stacey Flounders.

He said he was "embarrassed", and he had not been a good partner to her and their newborn baby.

When it was her turn to give evidence and she was asked if she saw any future for their relationship, he sat head bowed as she replied: "Not at the minute, no."

Rebecca Turner
BBC North East

Here's Adam Johnson's football career in numbers:

• Career appearances - 375
• Career goals - 58
• Began his career as a trainee with Middlesbrough in 2004
• Made his Premier League debut on 10 September 2005 against Arsenal
• Signed for Manchester City in February 2010 in a £7m transfer from Middlesbrough
• His first of 12 England caps was on 24 May 2010 against Mexico at Wembley
• Won the FA Cup and Premier League with Manchester City in consecutive seasons
• Returned to the North East of England on 24 August 2012 after signing with Sunderland for a fee of £10m

Image source, Getty Images

Catherine Lee
BBC News online

Like many professional footballers, Johnson was born into a working class background.

But did his rise to prominence, being cheered on by thousands of fans week in, week out, go to his head? 

Sports psychologist Carole Seheult says that it is not uncommon for this to happen. 

"Just because they are talented footballers doesn't mean they are any more mature in terms of life or social skills," she said.

"They are not necessarily able to make good decisions about who they should befriend or conduct their lives and relationships.

"I don't think the rarefied atmosphere of the changing rooms, with a lot of young men indulging in daring talk and bigging things up, is good for them either.

"They have got money and want to have fun and live life in the fast lane, but don't necessarily see the dangers of it."

Adam Johnson was "living most schoolboys’ dreams of playing professional football for his hometown club", police said.

But in a statement read outside Bradford Crown Court, Det Insp Aelfwynn Sampson said that he "exploited his position as a local hero to take advantage of a young and impressionable girl".

She added: “This was not a case where he didn’t know how old a girl was. 

"From the start of their contact, he knew full well that she had just turned 15 and yet this did not stop him."

Adam Johnson "cynically used his celebrity status" to sexually abuse a schoolgirl, the NSPCC says.

A spokesman said: "Even though he was fully aware of her age he continued the relationship without any concern for the profound and damaging impact it might have on her.

“His behaviour throughout was inexcusable, made even worse by the fact his not guilty pleas forced his young victim to suffer the harrowing experience of giving evidence in court. 

"We hope she gets the appropriate help to recover from this dreadful episode and Johnson takes the time to reflect on how his predatory actions have caused so much anguish."

Click here for more information about the charity., external

Rebecca Turner
BBC North East

Adam Johnson's fame as a footballer took him from a working class upbringing in County Durham to an audience with royalty as he represented his country.

At the official launch of The Football Association's National Football Centre, the now shamed former Sunderland winger met the Duchess of Cambridge.

Image source, Getty Images

The meeting took place at St George's Park in Burton-upon-Trent in 2012.

During his career, Johnson won the Premier League and FA Cup with Manchester City, as well as 12 caps for England.

Disgraced former footballer Adam Johnson must "say goodbye" to his daughter as he prepares for a possible jail sentence, a judge has told him.

Just before he left the dock, Judge Jonathan Rose told Johnson that being released on bail meant he could get his "affairs in order". 

 He said: "You can say goodbye to your daughter. A prison sentence will mean you will not see her for some time." 

Explaining his bail conditions, the judge said Johnson would be "well advised to stay well away from social media".

The 15-year-old fan who was groomed by former Sunderland footballer Adam Johnson says the last 12 months have been "the hardest year of my life".

Det Con Kimberly Walton read out a statement from the victim outside Bradford Crown Court.

It said: "In the very beginning I always doubted people would believe me. It was surreal for me. He was my favourite footballer.

"He asked me straight away how old I was and I told him straight away I was 15.

"It's been the hardest year of my life. I had to face so much abuse ... I've lost all my confidence and my school work has suffered.

"People have made assumptions and I have been unable to defend myself publicly. I want to put all of this behind me." 

Nick Barnes
BBC Newcastle's Sunderland commentator

Adam Johnson was too valuable a playing asset and could have played a significant role in helping the club steer themselves away from relegation this season.

My personal view is that he should have been suspended on full pay, as I believe the club owed Johnson and the rest of the playing and backroom staff a duty of care; firstly in not exposing Johnson to taunts and chants from opposing fans labelling him a paedophile, and secondly in not placing his colleagues and staff in a position of having to be embarrassed by his situation, which in retrospect they could argue was unacceptable bearing in mind his guilty plea.

A statement by Adam Johnson's victim is being read out live on TV now.