A pervert who was attacked as he was confronted by a paedophile vigilante group at a shopping centre has been jailed for three years and four months.

Mirza Mispa Beg, of no fixed address, sparked anger after he fell into a trap laid by the group calling themselves The Hunted One.

The 29-year-old went to Bluewater in Greenhithe believing he was meeting a 14-year-old girl for sex.

But the situation escalated when others present assaulted Beg - leading to warning from police that the public should not take the law into their own hands.

He admitted arranging or facilitating the commission of a child sex offence when he appeared at Maidstone Crown Court in May.

Following the violence, two men were sentenced by magistrates for affray.

The vigilante group live streamed the confrontation on Facebook, but because of the violence it has since stated it will no longer do so in such cases.

Prosecutor Tom Dunn said Beg had a profile on Waplog, claiming he was 22, with a photo of himself.

On April 13, he contacted a girl called “Scarlet”, who had a profile with a photo, set up as a “decoy” by Andy Bradstock who runs The Hunted One.

"You plainly have a sexual interest in young children a fact which is self-evident in the circumstances of this offence" - Judge David Griffith-Jones

In the first message to Beg, originally from Bangladesh, “she” said: “I am 14 years old and come from Kent.”

Beg replied he was living in East London. He enquired if she was single and asked to meet her. He asked her to trust him. He asked to contact her on WhatsApp and Facebook.

Beg, who was on a student visa at the time, repeatedly asked to meet and said he loved her.

“He suggested they met at Bluewater Marks & Spencer,” said Mr Dunn. “He said to her: ‘You are my girlfriend.’ He suggested they should have dinner together.

“She replies: ‘You don’t mind I am only 14 years old?’ The messages become sexual.”

Beg asked: “You want that I am sleep with you baby?” He asked to stay at her house while her parents were away.

Scarlet responded: “You want me to keep it secret because it is first time baby?”

Beg said: “Yes, I will teach you.” Asked what he was going to do, he replied “Everything” and mentioned a sex act.

When she told him she did not want to have a baby he said he would bring condoms.

Beg travelled by bus to Bluewater on April 16, arriving outside Marks & Spencer at 2pm.

He was immediately confronted by Mr Bradstock and other members of the group. The live streaming on Facebook has been viewed over 247,000 times.

Beg claimed he thought the girl was over 18. Asked if he had brought condoms, he produced a packet of Durex.

“Unfortunately, it appears a support group had also attended,” said Mr Dunn. “There was a violent exchange between them and the defendant.

“It is clear Mr Bradstock and those with him are trying to prevent others inflicting violence on Mr Beg. They were not entirely successful in that two individuals were subsequently charged and have been dealt with by a court.”

Dean George, defending, submitted the court could take into consideration that Beg was subjected to violence at the scene.

“There were some markings on him,” he said.

“If one looks at the way the assault was carried out, it is not gentle. It is unpleasant.”

Mr George said Beg had no history of such behaviour, but had a level of immaturity.

Because of “cultural difficulties” he would be isolated by his family, he added.

Judge David Griffith-Jones QC said: “Sexual intercourse was plainly contemplated.

Beg will be on the sex offenders' register indefinitely. A sexual harm prevention order was made.

Judge Griffith-Jones decided Beg was not dangerous under the relevant Act.

But he added: "You plainly have a sexual interest in young children a fact which is self-evident in the circumstances of this offence."

Beg will be barred from working with children and vulnerable adults.

"I take note of the fact you were subjected to an assault after you had attended Bluewater and had been confronted," he said."

"Happily, as I understand it, you sustained no serious injury."

A Hunted one spokesman said at the time: “We have decided as a team we won’t be going live anymore because we don’t want to put ourselves or members of the public in danger, and we don’t want what we are trying to achieve to be damaged because people can’t hold their temper.

“I don’t blame people for reacting like they do, but at the same time we’ve got to do this in the right manner and keep inside the law.

“I think people have to understand the police’s hands are tied. They are underfunded and they haven’t got the resources to do this,” said Ben.

“At any one time on one app I could be talking to between 10 to 20 potential paedophiles at a time. It is terrifying.”

The group says more than 250 people have been brought to justice through stings it has carried out in Kent and across the UK.

Kent Police’s public protection unit said the force had “significant concerns” about people taking the law into their own hands.

This was backed up by an NSPCC spokesman, who said: "While we have every sympathy for people concerned about suspected abusers, there are risks when members of the public take the law into their own hands.

"It can run the risk of driving offenders underground, jeopardise ongoing and complex police work or result in innocent people being harassed – all of which may put more children at risk of harm.”