Man in orange punching man in black sat on bench
Suspected pedophile David St John was filmed attacking another man during a court hearing in Houston, Texas, on Monday (Picture: KTRK)

A suspected child molester was filmed lunging at another man and beating him during a court appearance before shouting ‘You learned your lesson!’ David St John, 39, began shouting inaudibly as his case was called in Houston, Texas, on Monday. He stood up and walked towards a bench in front of him, before continuing to shout at another man and punching him.

That man ran away with St John restrained and cuffed by a security guard moments later. He could be heard saying ‘You learned your lesson.’ It is unclear what, if anything, triggered the attack on the other man, who he was, or why he was in court.

St John was arrested hours after he was allegedly found with a 16 year-old girl in a hotel room, having taken her there without consent, KTRK reported.

The suspected pedophile is accused of grooming the child, who is a year below the age of consent in Texas, by liking her photos on social media. He is then said to have picked the youngster up at her house after inviting her to smoke weed with him.

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At the hotel, he is accused of performing multiple sex acts on the girl, and frightening her with an unloaded gun by abusing her with it, before pulling its trigger.

During a subsequent interview, the girl said St John had held the gun to her head, and made her eat what she believed to be ice. That substance was later found to be crystal meth, according to Harris County Sheriff’s Office.

St John has been charged with aggravated sexual assault of a child, and being a felon in possession of a weapon. Officials have yet to say whether they also plan to charge him over the courtroom assault.

He is being held in jail, and is due back in court on March 26.

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