ADAM Johnson may have been suffering from sexually transmitted infections when he was arrested over child sex allegations, it has emerged.

Detectives who raided the footballer's £1.5m home in Castle Eden, County Durham, on March 2 last year discovered some medicines in a safe which indicated the shamed footballer may have been treating himself for sexually transmitted infections.

While examining the sacked Sunderland player's mobile phone, police officers unearthed images of an infected penis and found there had been internet searches about sexually transmitted diseases.

The 28-year-old’s device also contained related messages between him and the mother of his daughter and then girlfriend, Stacey Flounders, who told Johnson's trial that he had cheated on her with "quite a few women".

When his daughter, Ayla, was seven weeks old Johnson messaged a female in Darlington.

They exchanged numerous texts as the footballer worked out a secret location and he stated in the messages that he hoped to have sex with her on the bonnet of his Range Rover.

After he was arrested for sexual activity with a schoolgirl on March 2 last year police seized his mobile and computer devices.

The footballer was also arrested for possessing extreme pornography in the form of a bestiality video on his laptop.

Officers found Johnson had watched the bestiality video and X-rated videos of teenage girls, and had visited a website called Nice Young Teens.

Durham Constabulary are believed to have have told the footballer that he will not face further action over the extreme video.

The details emerged at a preliminary hearing at Durham Crown Court last August, where Judge Christopher Prince banned the media from reporting the discoveries until after the conclusion of Johnson's trial, saying the matter was not relevant to what the trial jury would need to determine.

Kate Blackwell QC, prosecuting, raised the issue at the Durham hearing in an attempt to get the defence to release Johnson's medical records.

She said that Johnson's condition potentially aggravated the third count of sexual activity with a child that he faced - that Johnson allowed the 15-year-old girl to perform a sex act on him.

Ms Blackwell told the hearing: "During a search of the defendant's premises on March 2 there were one, perhaps two types of medicine seized from the safe next to his bedroom, prescribed to the defendant indicating he may be suffering from one or two sexually transmitted infections at the time.

"That, together with the photos on the mobile telephone that appeared to show images of an infected penis, and messages between him and his girlfriend, and internet searches that the defendant was interested in such matters, may lead to the conclusion that any alleged conduct between him and the complainant set out in Count 4, would be aggravated by these matters."

Orlando Pownall QC, defending, launched an attempt to maintain a ban on reporting the discoveries as the jury considered its verdict, saying it could prejudice a future appeal by Johnson.