A 23-year-old man has been sentenced after being caught by a group of self-styled Greenwich ‘paedophile hunters’.

Aaron Jackson, of Radford Road, Hither Green, pleaded guilty at Woolwich Crown Court to attempting to meet a female child under 16 when the offender is 18 or over.

Unknown TV set up a fictional social media profile of a 15-year-old girl called Rebecca Swallow and sent friend requests to local men to identify online predators.

On October 3 last year, Jackson befriended the ‘Rebecca Swallow’ profile and began messaging ‘her’ privately.

In the messages he discussed having sex with Rebecca, who stated that she was 15 and arranged to meet the child.

Police were notified and arrested him when he attended the meeting location.

Jackson was sentenced earlier this month to 16 months in prison suspended for 24 months.

He was also sentenced to rehabilitation for a maximum of 60 days, a sexual harm prevention order for seven years and was placed on the sex offenders' register for 10 years. He must pay a victim surcharge of £100.

Another man who was trapped by Unknown TV was also sentenced at Woolwich Crown Court earlier this year.

David Boyce, 58, of Oakdene Avenue, Chislehurst, was sentenced to 12 months in prison suspended for 12 months.

He was also ordered to sign the sex offenders' register for 10 years, a 8pm to 6am curfew electronically tagged and must pay a victim surcharge of £100.

Another suspect identified by Unknown TV will stand trial in July.

Unknown TV has since closed down its investigations.

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When he spoke to News Shopper in October 2015, Unknown TV member Charlie Gaines, of Shooters Hill Road, told News Shopper: "I am not against the police but they could do more.

"Instead of beating these people up, we thought why don’t we help the police get them arrested?

"We don’t get violent. We don’t threaten them.

"The police are saying we are taking the law into our own hands but we pass our information to them.

"I have got to try and get these sex offenders off the streets."

At the time a Met Police spokesman said: "This type of action could jeopardise or interfere with ongoing investigations, and our advice to anyone who has information about suspected child sexual abuse - online or otherwise - is to contact police so we can investigate and, where possible, bring people to justice.

"Most importantly, those undertaking this type of activity cannot fully assess any risk associated to victims and their families."

Police advise anyone who has concerns about online grooming to report it to their local police, to the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre at ceop.police.uk, or to Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.

Anyone who thinks a child is at immediate risk of harm should call 999.