The former Irish Times journalist, Tom Humphries has been given a jail sentence for sexually abusing a teenage girl. The well known sports columnist was first arrested in 2012, after it was discovered during 2011, that he had been sexually abusing a teenage girl over the course of a two year period.

It was widely reported that Humphries' daughter had uncovered a series of text messages between him and the girl. Later, during the police investigation, it was revealed that Humphries first made contact with the girl in 2008 when she was aged 14.

It has also been reported that the two exchanged approximately 16,000 texts over the course of three months. Included among these were a number of explicit images. They had also engaged in a number of sexual acts when she was 16 years old.

#TomHumphries , through counsel, restates his “deep shame and remorse” for his crime, court hears.

— Michael O'Toole (@mickthehack) October 24, 2017

BREAKING: sports writer and former Irish Times journalist #TomHumphries sentenced to two years six months for defilement.

— Michael O'Toole (@mickthehack) October 24, 2017

According to reports, Humphries tried to take his own life. He has since spent some time in psychiatric care.