A MAN who raped a schoolgirl while his friend held her wrists and covered her mouth with his hand has been jailed for eight years.

The 15-year-old had been invited by the men to a house in Rendlesham Road for a cup of tea but when she got inside the front door was locked behind her, Ipswich Crown Court heard.

The girl initially sat down on a sofa but felt nervous. As she tried to leave, she was slapped across the face causing her to feel dizzy, said Andrew Shaw, prosecuting.

She then found herself lying on the sofa with one of the men holding her wrists with one hand and covering her mouth with the other, while 30-year-old Aram Ahmad removed her trousers and underwear and raped her.

During the attack the girl unsuccessfully tried to kick out at Ahmad and attempted to bite the hand of the man who was holding her wrists, said Mr Shaw.

Afterwards the door was unlocked and the victim had been allowed to leave the house.

She didn’t report the alleged attack immediately because she didn’t think anyone would believe her but went to the police three months later after she received an anonymous telephone call telling her there was video footage on the internet of her having sex with a man.

“She had no recollection of being filmed,” said Mr Shaw.

Two days later the girl was near Norwich Court in Ipswich at around 6pm when she heard someone call her name and realised it was the man who had raped her.

She told him to go away but he grabbed her wrist. When the victim told him to let go and threatened to call the police he allegedly touched her breasts and laughed, said Mr Shaw.

Ahmad, of Norwich Court, Ipswich, denied raping the girl in January last year and sexually assaulting her on April 29 last year.

He was found guilty by a jury of rape after a three-day trial but was cleared of sexual assault.

Jailing him for eight years and ordering him to sign the sex offenders’ register indefinitely, Recorder Christopher Morgan described the victim of the rape as vulnerable and said Ahmad had taken advantage of her.