A French MEP was caught masturbating in front of teenage girls at a DIY store.
Elected representative Robert Rochefort pleaded guilty in court after committing the lewd act in a town just outside Paris in August.
He was then beaten up by an angry customer, who punched and kicked him after catching him in the act.
Mr Rochefort, 61, pulled down his trousers before committing the sex act in front of two teenage girls, French newspaper Le Monde reported.
He told police he “needs to masturbate” whenever he is under stress but later claimed he had only said that to avoid being kept by police.
The incident happened in home improvement store Castorama in Velizy, on the south-west outskirts of Paris.
Mr Rochefort is likely to be handed a fine, but on Twitter he said there was to be “no further action”.
He wrote: "Thank you to all those who have sent me a message of sympathy, support or friendship. I want them to know how precious that was to me."
Mr Rochefort represented the south-west France constituiency region but was replaced following the scandal.
