A 13-year-old girl had a sexual relationship with a man more than three times her age after she seduced him while he was babysitting for her, a court heard yesterday.

A 13-year-old girl had a sexual relationship with a man more than three times her age after she seduced him while he was babysitting for her, a court heard yesterday.

The schoolgirl instigated the sexual contact between them by touching Dereckyn Rouse intimately and encouraging him to touch her, Ipswich Crown Court was told.

The pair had gone on to have sexual intercourse while the girl was under 16 and their relationship had continued for several years until she found a boyfriend nearer her own age, said Lindsay Cox, prosecuting.

Rouse, now 56, of Arbor Lane, Lowestoft, has denied indecency with a child, four offences of indecent assault and three offences of sexual activity with a child.

Mr Cox told the court that the alleged victim of the offences had not complained about the sexual relationship between her and Rouse and the matter only came to the attention of the police after her mother was told about it.

Mr Cox said that even though the girl had instigated the relationship, she could not consent to sexual activity while she was under 16.

The court heard the girl ended the relationship with Rouse when she was 17 and he had been very upset and had threatened to kill himself.

After his arrest last year, Rouse denied having a sexual relationship with the girl until she was 16 or 17.

The trial continues today.