Tom Humphries has been jailed for two and a half years for sexually abusing a young girl in his Dublin home after grooming her for two years.

The former Irish Times sports journalist pleaded guilty to the offences last March and requested he be taken into custody earlier this month.

He first contacted the girl in December 2008 when she was just 14 and after a few months, he began sending her explicit messages and photos.

Two years of regular texting followed before he brought her back to his apartment in north Dublin, where the court heard they engaged in sexual acts.

The girl, who’s now in her early 20s, says she felt ashamed by what happened and was left depressed and suicidal.