A CHILD rapist who was entrapped by two paedophile hunter groups after he tried to groom underage girls for sex on Facebook is behind bars again.

Convicted sex offender Louis Beagen was snared by two organisations called Guardians of the North and Dark Justice, Newport Crown Court heard.

Prosecutor Gareth James said the 24-year-old defendant was jailed for more than five years in 2014 for rape, sexual activity with a child and inciting a child to engage in sexual activity.

His three victims from those proceedings were girls under 16.

Mr James told how Beagen, formerly of Ennerdale Court, Newport, in his new offences, had got his innocent father arrested after he hacked his Facebook account.

He also used his dad's mobile phone and iPad to contact what he thought were three girls, two who were aged 13 and one 14.

But Judge Daniel Williams was told that he was in fact in touch with members of the paedophile hunter groups who had set up fictitious Facebook accounts.

Mr James said that Beagen had sent them explicit photographs of himself and asked them if they wanted to have full sexual intercourse with him.

He said that his father had been initially arrested as a suspect for the crimes before it became apparent to police he was entirely blameless, adding: “One can only imagine how he felt.”

Mr James added that Guardians of the North and Dark Justice had travelled to Newport to present Gwent Police with the evidence in the case.

Beagen pleaded guilty to three counts of attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child.

Byron Broadstock, mitigating, said his client had admitted his wrongdoing at an early stage and there were “no victims” in his latest offending.

His barrister added that the defendant was looking to change his sexual behaviour.

In sentencing Beagen, Judge Williams said he could have imposed a longer prison term on him had he been charged with the more serious offence of attempting to incite a child to engage in sexual activity which he inferred he should have been.

The defendant was jailed for 18 months and made subject of a sexual harm prevention order for 10 years.