Groomer Richard Hewitt jailed after Dark Justice sting
- Published
A man confronted by internet paedophile hunters "fought like a pitbull" and tried to smash his phone to destroy evidence.
Richard Hewitt drove from Cheshire to Newcastle after arranging to meet what he thought was a 13-year-old girl.
The 40-year-old, of Ellesmere Port, had used an online teen chat room and sent messages asking for sex.
He admitted attempting to meet a child following sexual grooming and was jailed for two years.
At an earlier hearing at Newcastle Crown Court he also pleaded guilty to breaching a Sexual Offences Prevention Order, which he had been subject to since 2007.
The fake profile of a girl called "Jessie" had been created by members of Dark Justice, which describes itself as a group of concerned citizens targeting paedophiles online.
Hewitt, who had 26 previous offences on his record, asked for naked selfies and sent WhatsApp messages requesting sex.
They included one which said: "I will be your first".
Phone 'bent like banana'
In August he drove from his home to Newcastle for what he thought was a meeting with the teenager.
Instead, he was confronted by members of Dark Justice who blocked his car to stop him leaving.
Speaking outside court, one of its members said: "He snapped his own phone and bent it like a banana, trying to destroy the evidence.
"He went crazy, he absolutely flipped out. He looks like a Chihuahua, but he fought like a pitbull."
Appearing at the sentencing via videolink, Hewitt said "I'm sorry" and "I need help".
Judge Robert Adams told him he had a "bad record for sexual offending".
Dark Justice has been running for two years and says its work has led to 64 people being arrested and 34 convictions.