A JURY in the trial of an alleged Ipswich paedophile has been told that either he or his victim are lying.Paul Hunt, 41, of Boyton Road, Ipswich appeared at Ipswich Crown Court and pleaded not guilty to three charges of rape and three charges of indecent assault on a girl under sixteen years of age.

A JURY in the trial of an alleged Ipswich paedophile has been told that either he or his victim are lying.

Paul Hunt, 41, of Boyton Road, Ipswich appeared at Ipswich Crown Court and pleaded not guilty to three charges of rape and three charges of indecent assault on a girl under sixteen years of age.

The victim, now aged 18, claimed to be subjected to several sexual assaults between February 1999 and February 2001.

After two days of evidence judge Peter Thompson today summed up the case with a jury of five men and seven women. Mr Thompson said: "You have heard that Mr Hunt is a man of good character with no criminal convictions. Mr Hunt says he never touched her at all and said he had no sexual interest in her. He says he had bad knees at the time so he could not be as sexually active as she says. Someone is lying."

The court heard the judge read from the girl's statement. It said: "He said he loved me and told me I was special. He said he wanted to buy me some sexy underwear and show him what I looked like in it."

Mr Thompson then asked the members of the jury "Is this a dramatic performance or is she someone who is telling the truth? She claimed he started touching her when she was fourteen in February 1999 and later had sex with him."

Hunt denies all the allegations that are claimed to have taken place inside an Ipswich house and in Hunt's car.

The girl added, "I was worried I would get pregnant and he said we would worry about that if it happens. He said I would have to have an abortion. It was eating away at me and I was having nightmares about it. I am telling the truth, why would I lie?"

Reading from Hunt's statement the defendant was asked if the girl could be trusted. He replied: "A year ago I would have said yes but since she has been mixing with certain people, I would say no. I was shocked when I found out she had said these things."

The jury has gone out to consider their verdict.