Adam Johnson in action for Sunderland.
IN PHOTO: Sunderland's Adam Johnson (L) is challenged by Bradford City's Filipe Morais during their FA Cup fifth round soccer match at Valley Parade in Bradford, northern England February 15, 2015. REUTERS/Phil Noble

Sunderland winger Adam Johnson has been arrested on child sex charges after it emerged that he had sex with a 15 year old girl. He is currently out on bail and is due to appear in court on May 20th.

The girl reportedly boasted about her relationship with John son to her friends and also her social media accounts, which then came to the attention of her father, who then went straight to the police. Johnson was then arrested early March and questioned before being released on bail. He was also suspended by Sunderland but has since played for the club in recent matches in the Premier League.

"Adam Johnson, a professional footballer aged 27 from Castle Eden, County Durham has this afternoon been charged with three offences of sexual activity with a child under 16 years old pulse one offence of grooming. Johnson was initially arrested on Monday, March 2nd and was charged after he answered police bail today at Peterlee police station. He will appear at Peterlee magistrates court on the morning of Wednesday May 20th," a spokesman for the Durham Police said, the Telegraph reports.

The girl has not been named so far due to legal reasons. Johnson, meanwhile, is well known as a Premier League footballer. He started out playing for Middlesbrough FC, and then played for Manchester City in 2010. He won the Premier League, FA Cup and the Community Shield with them, and after the end of the 2011-2012 season, moved to hometown club Sunderland for 10 million pounds. He has made 11 appearances for the England national team.

The incident with the 15 year old girl reportedly occurred sometime between Dec. 30, 2014 and Jan. 26, 2015. The winger has a girlfriend, Stacey Flounders, with whom he also has a seven week old baby.

"He is 100 per cent innocent and we will stand by him. He hasn't been found guilty of anything. He is a great lad and has not done anything wrong. This is a horrible situation," the girlfriend’s mother is quoted as saying by the Telegraph. Sunderland, meanwhile, are yet to comment on the charges.

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