A New Addington man has admitted grooming a 14-year-old girl for sex after being exposed by an online vigilante group.

Daniel Mullarkey, 31, of Betchworth Way, was caught on film trying to meet an underage girl near a tram stop by the self-styled "Internet Interceptors" in January.

According to the group, Mullarkey had exchanged a number of online messages with someone he believed to be a teenage girl.

He made explicit references to sexual activity with her after being told she was 14.

But when he arrived to meet her he was confronted by members of Internet Interceptors, who accused him of planning to "rape" the girl.

At Croydon Crown Court today Mullarkey pleaded guilty to attempting to meet a girl under-16 following grooming.

On its Facebook page, Internet Interceptors describes itself as a "dedicated team of parents hunting paedophiles and sexual predators across the UK keeping our communities safe".

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Messages sent between Mullarkey and someone he believed to be a 14-year-old girl

A video uploaded to YouTube on February 11, filmed near the Sandilands tram stop, shows Mullarkey trying to hide his face after being confronted by members of the group.

At least two men can be seen demanding Mullarkey to identify himself and accusing him of trying to meet the girl, at one point asking: "What were you going to do to her? Rape her?"

Mullarley replies: "No I wasn't. No I wasn't."

Wearing a green jacket and large blue rucksack, Mullarkey tries to walk away from the men, but is warned that "you either walk nicely or we're going to take you down".

In the video the men also refer to Mullarkey having a wife and two children.

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A member of Internet Interceptors said the group would not be giving statements to the press, but did grant permission for the use of images.

In a screenshot including some of the alleged messages between Mullarkey and the girl, posted on the group's Facebook page, the 31-year-old asks: "How old you if you don't mind me asking," before later saying "you don't look 14 lol".

In a later message he says: "now be honest with me please what do you want."

Mullarkey will be sentenced at Croydon Crown Court on April 4.

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