A man became enraged and cycled into a teenager at speed after being called a "nonce".
Andrew Mason darted at the 13-year-old who was also on a bike and sent him flying.
Saba Shan told Teesside Magistrates' Court that Mason, 51, was of previous good character before the offence on September 15 last year, Teeside Live reported.
Ms Shan described how a teaching assistant had overheard two men talking about how "a child was going to get a f***ing hiding" at 3.30pm, where Chaucer Avenue meets Oxford Road in the town.
She witnessed the man in an altercation with a group of youths before mounting his bike.
Ms Shan said: "This defendant had been seen by witnesses and the two complainants to ride at speed towards the schoolboy and crash into him, causing the young schoolboy to fall on the floor."
The bike, which belonged the youngster's friend, was left "buckled" and badly damaged.
"He (Mason) has then got up and left the area", Ms Shan told the court.
In police interview the defendant told officers "the children were mocking him".
He maintained the collision was accidental but was found guilty at a trial of assault by beating and criminal damage.
Andrew McGloin, mitigating, said: "He said there wasn't really any challenge to this point that children from the school had been calling him a nonce and a paedophile, terms that very deeply upset him."
He said the defendant had denied criminal wrongdoing and was left "sobbing, very upset, almost inconsolable" after he was found guilty at trial.
Mr McGloin said Mason has no previous convictions, suffers with mental health and learning difficulties, and the victim wasn't badly injured.
Magistrates sentenced Mason, of Browning Avenue, Hartlepool, to a 12-month community order, with 15 rehabilitation activity requirement days.
He must also pay £390 in compensation (£100 for the assault and £290 for the bike) and £200 in costs - a total of £590.
