An Irish TV producer has admitted sex offences after travelling to the UK to meet a 13-year-old girl.

Kieran Creaven, 55, a sports producer with RTE, pleaded guilty to child grooming at Leeds magistrates' court today.

He flew from Dublin to meet his victim at The Queens Hotel in Leeds city centre in November, but instead was met by a paedophile hunter vigilante group.

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Kieran Creaven, a producer with Irish broadcaster RTE, admitted the offences at Leeds Crown Court today

Creaven stood in the dock wearing an open-neck white shirt under a black overcoat for the 10-minute hearing.

The TV boss spoke only to confirm his name, date of birth, his Irish nationality and to enter his pleas.

An earlier hearing heard how Creavan told the girl he was 'horny' and sent a picture of his erect penis, during a stream of perverted texts.

But in fact he was messaging a fake online profile created by paedophile hunters, Predator Exposure.

The online conversation was described as 'prolonged' by the prosecution and began in July and ending November.

During the messages, Creavan was repeatedly told the girl was 13.

Creavan is arrested by police after being snared by paedophile hunting vigilante group, Predator Exposure

During a hearing in November this year, prosecutor Jill Seddon said: 'He wished he could go to bed with her and wished he could cuddle her and he told her he felt horny.

'He sent a picture of his erect penis to the girl and she says she has not seen one before because she is only 13.'

But Crevean's lawyer argued that he only wished to meet up with the girl in a 'fatherly and wholesome way'.

After pleading guilty to attempting to meet a child under the age of 16 and inciting the girl to engage in sexual activity, Creavan now faces up to two years in prison

In a statement, RTE said: 'RTE has been made aware of this matter which is being dealt with by Yorkshire police forces in the UK and no further comment will be made at this time.'

Kieran Creavan was released on bail to be sentenced on February 12.

Left, as Crevean was confronted by the paedophile hunters and right, outside Leeds Crown Court today

Video footage showed Predator Exposure snaring Creavan as he arrived to meet the girl in Leeds.

Speaking after they caught the producer, one of the members calling himself Phil -explained how they set the trap.

He said: 'It's a right result. You don't get a better result.

'The evidence we have on him, he knows himself that he's bang to rights.'

Phil added: 'He obviously was a bit panicky but we told him ''We're not here to harm you, we're here to protect you''.

'Once we've done the sting, we've a duty of care to make sure we protect him at all costs.'

Asked if this was job for the police rather than private groups, the paedophile hunter said: 'If this was a job for the police, I'm sorry to say this man would never have been caught.

'People say this is a job for the police. On the 27 [offenders] we've got, where were the police then?

Members of paedophile hunter group, Predator Exposure, outside Leeds magistrates' court

'The police were nowhere to be seen. On these 27 that we've got, thank God it was us and not a real child.'

He said: 'At least now he's on the radar, he's gone guilty, this'll be on his CV. Even if he got two hours' community service - everybody now knows that he is a paedophile.'

Earlier this year, senior police officers warned that vigilante groups could put child abuse investigations at risk.

Detective Superintendent Steven Woollett, of the Kent and Essex serious crime directorate, said in August that offenders might become more evasive as a result of groups' actions.

'My personal view is, as much as they may be well intended, there is the potential to hinder police investigations,' he said.

'My message to them would be we are professional law enforcement - leave it to the professionals.'

His message was echoed by the National Police Chiefs Council lead for child protection, Chief Constable Simon Bailey, who said police are arresting more than 400 offenders and protecting more than 500 children every month.

He said: 'Don't try to take it into your own hands, you could undermine police investigations, creating more risk for the children we all want to protect.'