Politics
Doctor Strange star Zara Phythian and husband jailed for sexually abusing girl in three-year reign of terrorHolly ChristodoulouThe Sun
A HOLLYWOOD actress and her vile husband have been jailed after abusing a teen girl during a three-year reign of terror.
Zara Phythian, who starred with Benedict Cumberbatch in Doctor Strange, plied the vulnerable girl with rum.
Zara Phythian was convicted of a string of child sex abuse offences
Along with husband Victor Marke, the 36-year-old abused the teen “once or twice a month” from 2005 and threatened her to keep her quiet.
Martial arts and Taekwondo “master” Marke, 59, had sex with the complainant about 20 times on different occasions.
When she said she longer wanted to see the pair, Phythian told her: “Don’t come back, I’m burning your stuff”.
The sick pair have today been jailed after being found guilty of 14 counts of sexual activity with a child.
Read more on the horrific case
Marke, who was also convicted of four counts of indecent assault on another girl, between 2002 and 2003, was jailed for 14 years while Phythian received eight years.
Supporters in the public gallery shouted “I love you Zara” as she was sent down.
The victim slammed the paedo couple for robbing her of her “innocence” and “corrupting my development” in a powerful victim impact statement.
She added: “I have become an adult now. All the pain, anger and disgust and shame I felt is now on you. Both of you”.
Nottingham Crown Court heard how the teen would regularly stay with the pair at their home when the abuse started.
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She told police how she was given rum before being asked by Zara – also a martial arts expert – if she wanted to play “dares”.
The actress then began performing a sex act on her husband before asking the victim to do the same.
The girl claimed he then “took it in turns” to have sex with them both.
She told officers the abuse continued until she turned 18 and included Victor asking her to record him and Zara together.
The girl said: “I knew it was wrong, but I did not know how to get out of the situation, or say anything.
“I just did whatever they asked me to do. They made it seem like I was some naughty kid and they were helping me out.
“I just felt like there was no way out. They told me not to say anything.”
She also wept as she told how finally revealed what she described as her “darkest secret” when officers visited her home about the second victim.
The girl 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.
Marke branded the claims”paedophile s**t” when quizzed by officers after his arrest.
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.”
While Phythian told detectives she’d never had any form of sexual contact with the girl – calling it “bulls**t”.
She did 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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She was described as a “major personality” who was “enjoying unprecedented personal and professional success” after her role in Marvel film Doctor Strange.
Zara was aged around 20 or 21 around the time the abuse started while Victor was 42 or 43.
LNPThe couple denied a string of offences but were convicted after a trial[/caption]
Marke starred alongside Benedict Cumberbatch
Marvel and Universal StudiosShe appeared in the Doctor Strange film[/caption]
instagramPhythian plied the girl with rum[/caption]
INSTAGRAMThe actress asked the girl if she wanted to play ‘dares’[/caption]
The couple filmed the abuseThe Sun
