Former Premier League fotballer Adam Johnson has lodged an appeal against his six-year prison sentence for grooming and engaging in sexual activity with a child.
The sacked Sunderland and ex-England winger was sentenced last month following a trial at Bradford Crown Court in which judge Jonathan Rose said Johnson had caused his victim "severe psychological harm".
The 28-year-old former Middlesbrough and Manchester City attacker has already begun an appeal against his conviction for touching a 15-year-old girl intimately, the one offence for which he was found guilty.
He had earlier admitted grooming the girl and a separate, less serious charge of sexual activity with her.
Johnson's sister Faye, who runs the Adam Johnson's Appeal Fight page on Facebook, said in a post: "Adam's appeal against his sentence has now been lodged!"
"Thanks everyone for your support it means a lot! X"
The page also shows a picture of a letter from her brother in which he says: "Tell the fans thanks for the support from me ... and the letters."
The appeal page has been "liked" by more than 8,000 people.
At the disgraced footballer's trial, the court heard how he had exchanged hundreds of social media messages with the teenager which he encouraged her to delete.
He admitted to meeting her in his Range Rover in County Durham on 30 January last year and kissing her in the vehicle.
But the girl told the jury the encounter went much further than that and Johnson was found guilty of the crime.
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