A CONVICTED child sex attacker was beaten with baseball bats by two men who used Facebook to offer a reward for information about his whereabouts, a court was told.

Michael Loughran and Karl Carter, who were supported by friends and relatives in the public gallery, were said to be on a “declared mission of seeking violent retribution” against the victim.

Teesside Crown Court heard how the pair engaged in a concerted campaign to trace their target, who moved to Darlington following his release from a three and-a-half year sentence for seriously sexually assaulting a child, an offence he denied.

Prosecuting, Paul Cleasby said Mr Loughran posted a message on the social networking site stating: “I will put everything into getting my hands on the f***ing creep.”

He also promised to “take the big chin off his face” and warned that it would take ten policemen to keep him under control.

Mr Loughran, 30, of Ryhill Walk, Middlesbrough and his co-accused 27-year-old Karl Carter, of Jubilee Road, in the town, both plead not guilty to joint charge of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.

They also deny charges of having an offensive weapon.

The victim, who is now aged 18, had been sentenced in September 2012, but was released on licence from a young offenders’ institution in June this year.

Feelings were said to be running high in the local community in Middlesbrough where the complainant lived and his father had been subjected to harassment and threats.

Mr Loughran was spoken to by police and warned not to take the law into his own hands. Following the complainant’s release from custody on June 18 he and his father then moved to new accommodation in Darlington.

Mr Cleasby said: “A concerted Facebook campaign commenced with both defendants offering money in return for information leading to the whereabouts of [the victim].

“They were very anxious to find out where [he] was and it was clear they were intent on taking the law into their own hands.”

The prosecutor said Mr Carter increased a reward for information to £1,000. Police saw the Facebook messages and repeated warnings to both men about their behaviour.

However, Mr Cleasby said: “It was obvious that despite their best efforts to ensure things remained calm Mr Carter and Mr Loughran were set on their declared mission of seeking violent retribution.”

The pair eventually discovered the complainant’s address and travelled to Darlington in a white van, arming themselves with baseball bats, he said.

On the evening of June 28, Mr Cleasby said they laid in wait for the complainant and after seeing him in the street walking a dog, got out of the van, striking him to the head and body and knocking him to the ground before he was subject to multiple blows and kicks.

He was left with a four centimetre cut to the back of his head which required stapling and hospital treatment and significant bruising on his head, arms and torso.

Mr Carter handed himself into police the following day, but made no reply to any of the questions officers put to him. His home was searched and a wooden bat recovered.

Mr Loughran was also questioned and confirmed he knew the victim, but thereafter remained silent.

Mr Cleasby said: “The prosecution say that Mr Loughran and his best friend had a clear unequivocal aim of inflicting real serious harm.

“They told the world what they were going to do and they did what they said.”

Mr Loughran and Mr Carter both stared intently at a television screen in the court room on which the complainant appeared via a video link.

Giving evidence, the victim said he thought he was going to die in the attack.

However, he denied assertions from Robert Mochrie, defending, that it was he in fact who had armed himself with a baseball bat, not Mr Loughran, who he said intended to smash the victim’s windows.

The complainant also denied sending a threatening text message which said: “You are all dead.”

He said: “They’re lying.”

The trial continues.