The victim of alleged sexual abuse by a former university lecturer confided claims in her partner after watching films on a similar subject, a court has heard.

The woman's ex-partner told Ipswich Crown Court that allegations of abuse by Julian Myerscough were triggered by two feature films with relevant plots.

The witness was giving evidence during the trial of 57-year-old former University of East Anglia law lecturer, Myerscough, who denies a string of sex offences relating to three girls under 13, between 2001 and 2010.

"She spoke about why these kind of films affected her," said the woman's former partner.

"That she had been through similar, or the same things.

"To summarise, she said she had been abused physically, sexually and emotionally while she was young."

Myerscough, formerly of Lowestoft, was convicted of possessing indecent images of children in 2010, and again in 2017, when he left the country for the Republic of Ireland, and then Romania, before being brought back under a European Arrest Warrant in August 2018.

Prosecutors said a mobile phone, seized from Myerscough on his return to the UK, was found to contain indecent images and videos of children.

The court also heard from the alleged victim's mother, who said she learned about claims of abuse through another of her daughter's partners, shortly before giving a statement to police.

Simon Spence, defending Myerscough, asked why, despite depicting an incredibly close relationship, she had never previously been told anything about inappropriate behaviour.

"I'm now aware there were topics she was not prepared to talk to me about," she replied.

A third ex-partner of the alleged victim then took the stand to describe a similar disclosure.

"It was something along the lines of being touched," said the witness, who added: "It was my understanding it was sexual", but acknowledged not being told to whom the allegations referred.

"I didn't know how to approach asking her anything more."

Myerscough faces 11 charges, including two offences of rape, four of indecent assault and four of assault by penetration.

One of the alleged victims was as young as three or four at the time of some of the allegations.

The trial continues.