Former Manchester City player Adam Johnson has been released from prison having served half a six-year sentence for grooming and kissing a 15-year-old girl.
His dad was pictured driving away from HMP Moorland in the middle of the night.
The England international left the facility, near Doncaster, having served half his six-year sentence.
His father David, who also acts as his agent, was pictured arriving at HMP Moorland in a Mercedes people carrier shortly after midnight.
The people carrier, with blacked-out rear windows, was later seen arriving at the former player's mansion near Hartlepool.
Mr Johnson said his son may make a statement later on Friday.
Johnson, 31, was jailed for grooming, kissing and touching a 15-year-old girl while playing for Sunderland. He pleaded guilty on the first day of his trial to grooming the girl and sexual activity, relating to kissing her.
His £60,000-a-week at Sunderland was then terminated.
The ex-Middlesbrough winger was jailed for six years at Bradford Crown Court in May 2016.
He was found to have deleted 800 messages between himself and his victim, who he is banned from contacting.
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Johnson was said to have caused the girl 'severe psychological harm' by judge Jonathan Rose.
He will remain under license conditions until the conclusion of his full jail term in 2022.
Johnson will be on the sex offenders register for at least 15 years, at which point he can apply to be removed.
He is reportedly keen to resume his football career, but knows the chance of a club in Britain taking him on are slim.
A spokesman for the Ministry of Justice told the Mirror it did not comment on individual cases.
