A FORMER professional footballer from Thurrock has been jailed for having sex with an underage girl and taking a photograph of a friend, also from Thurrock, in bed with two others.

The friend, Korie Berman, also had sex with the youngsters.

Tyrell Robinson, 23, originally from South Ockendon, had admitted engaging in sexual activity with a child and making and distributing an indecent image of a child via Snapchat when he appeared before Bradford Crown Court in June last year.

A child soccer starlet, Robinson joined Arsenal when he was just seven and turned professional in January 2015 before being released by the Gunners in February 2017.

After trials with Watford and West Bromwich Albion he signed a one-year contract with Bradford City in May 2017 and then gained an extension which would have run until the summer this year - but he was sacked by Bradford when the offences came to light.

His sentencing was delayed because it was linked the the trial of Berman, 22, who had originally pleaded not guilty to five charges of engaging in penetrative sexual activity with a child, and was due to stand trial in April.

However, he changed his plea to guilty and the pair appeared before the court yesterday (Tuesday, 26 January).

The court heard Robinson and Berman met three 14-year-olds at his flat in Bradford in August 2018. They knew the girls' ages and both men admitted sexual activity with them.

Robinson was jailed for three-and-a-half years and Berman for six.

Gillian Batts, prosecuting, said the player had met the victims at a social event he had been told not to attend by Bradford City's management.

The court was also told the club had given all players safeguarding training regarding young and vulnerable people, which included guidance about not giving under-18s their contact details.

However, Robinson later sent one of the girls a message saying: "I think you are stunning, but your age is a killer."

Robinson admitted having sex with one of the girls in his bedroom after he and Berman met up with them.

He also took a photograph of Berman in bed with the two other girls and shared it with him.

Berman admitted to police he had sex with them, although the court heard the girls, who had been given alcohol, had "little or no recollection" of events and had been "violently ill" afterwards.

The court also heard Berman had sex on two other occasions with one of the girls at Robinson's flat while the footballer was away.

Robinson was suspended by Bradford City days after the attack in August 2018 and was later sacked by the club.

Judge Richard Mansell QC said the teenagers had been "immature, typical 14-year-olds who were sexually inexperienced, naive and vulnerable to grooming and sexual exploitation by adult men".

All three girls and their families suffered considerable harm, he added.

In addition to their sentences, both men will be on the sex offenders' register for life.