The disgraced former Sunderland and England footballer Adam Johnson has lost his appeal against his conviction for child sex offences.
Johnson was sentenced to six years in prison earlier this year for sexual activity with a 15-year-old girl.
His sister Faye Johnson posted about the news on Twitter.
“Absolutely devastated that the single judge has rejected my brother’s appeal against sentence and conviction,” she said.
“But I can assure every supporter that it has made me stronger and I will never give up.”
A court heard earlier this year that Johnson had kissed and sexually touched a young fan in his Range Rover in County Durham.
He was found guilty of one count of sexual activity with a schoolgirl, but cleared of another count where it was alleged that she had performed a sex act on him. He had earlier pleaded guilty to one count of grooming and another count of kissing the girl.
LISTEN: You Must Be Jokin’ with Aideen McQueen – Faith healers, Coolock craic and Gigging as Gaeilge
