Doctor Strange star Zara Phythian and husband GUILTY of sexually abusing girl, 13, in three years of terror

DOCTOR Strange star Zara Phythian and her husband are facing jail after they were today found guilty of sexually abusing a 13-year-old girl.

The Hollywood actress plied the teen with Captain Morgan dark rum before making her perform a sex act on husband Victor Marke during a three-year reign of terror.

The youngster was then abused once or twice a month until she was finally able to free herself.

Martial arts and Taekwondo "master" Marke, 59, had sex with her about 20 times on different occasions, jurors heard.

The creep branded the allegations "paedophile s**t" when quizzed by officers after his arrest, Nottingham Crown Court was told.

He said he was "really angry" to be accused, and told officers: "If you're trying to say I'm a paedophile, I'm not."

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Marke said he'd had consensual sex with the teen when she was 18 – something his wife only discovered during her police interview, it was heard.

Phythian told detectives she'd never had any form of sexual contact with the girl, calling it "bulls**t".

However, the star, 37, admitted having an x-rated sex kit – including videos of her having sex with other men – when questioned.

Phythian, who was 19 when she first got together with Marke, said they'd filmed their sex life with a Go Pro camera and were into swinging.

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Upon discovering her husband had revealed he'd had sex with her accuser, she said she felt "confused", adding that she'd "liked to have known about it".

The teen told the court she'd regularly stay with the couple at their home.

On one occasion, Phythian – also a martial arts expert – gave her rum before asking if she wanted to play "dares".

Marke then had sex with Phythian and the girl. The abuse continued until she turned 18.

It included Marke asking her to record him and Phythian together in an "attempt to recreate pornographic scenes".

'IT'S RIDICULOUS'

Phythian, of Mansfield in Nottinghamshire, would have been 20 or 21 around the time the abuse started, while Marke, of Ravenshead, near Mansfield, was 42 or 43.

Phythian braded it "ridiculous" as she gave evidence in her defence, telling jurors: "That sexual activity that she described did not happen and is fabricated."

But the victim wept as she told jurors how she finally revealed her "darkest secret".

Officers had visited her mum's home to say another girl had claimed she was abused by Marke.

The victim said she "would never have come forward" and planned to "die with my shame".

But she had recently become a mum, and felt she had "no option to speak my truth", she said.

UNANIMOUSLY GUILTY

The Markes, who the court was told “commanded admiration and respect within the martial arts world”, jointly denied 14 counts of sexual activity with a child, claiming the allegations were false.

But they were unanimously found guilty of all charges by jurors following a two-week trial.

Victor was also convicted of four counts of indecent assault on another girl, between 2002 and 2003.

Zara wept as the verdicts were delivered, while Victor raised his eyes and blew out his cheeks.

Judge Mark Watson will decide at 2pm today when the pair will be sentenced.

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Previously, Phythian told the court how she was "spotted" while taking part in a martial arts tournament in the US, after which she took part in Guinness World Record attempts on Sky TV, and did "lots of stunt work".

She then began "working her way up the ladder" – and in 2016 was successful in auditioning for the role of 'Brunette Zealot' in Doctor Strange, which grossed $677m at the box office.

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