NORTHAMPTON -- During closing arguments in the trial of Alphonso S. Cintron on child rape charges, his attorney said that the girl who accused him of raping her at 15 when she was in a program for troubled teens was motivated to make up the allegation because Cintron, an employee, was an authority figure who was strict with her early in her stay at The Grove.

But Assistant Northwestern District Attorney Caleb Weiner said it is nonsensical to think that the now 22-year-old woman would lie under oath to convict Cintron nearly seven years later just because he was tough on her on the first day.

Cintron, 35, of Springfield is one of two men accused of raping the girl at The Grove, a now-closed residential program at 272 Grove St. in Northampton run by the Northeast Center for Youth and Families.

He has pleaded not guilty to two counts of aggravated rape of a child and one count of failing to report child abuse as a mandated reporter. The latter charge is related to the allegation that Cintron knew that a coworker, Fabian Williams, 28, of Springfield, had had sexual contact with the girl and did not report it.

The woman testified Friday that Williams raped her twice about two weeks apart in the summer of 2009; once when they were in the building alone and once at night when he took her to the basement. He is expected to be tried in July.

She said that Cintron later indicated he knew about their sexual contact, and later that night forced her to provide oral sex, saying it was in exchange for him giving her a cigarette.

In her closing argument, Duncan said that the job of the jurors in the trial is to determine the credibility of the woman who testified before them. She said that the girl reported different versions and details at various times over the years, including initially reporting in December 2009 that she was raped by Williams, only later saying Cintron raped her too, and on the witness stand, saying she was physically forced to complete the sex acts.

"She is not a credible witness," Duncan told the jury.

Another indication of the girl's dishonesty, the attorney said, was that she insisted on the witness stand that she never told her roommate at the time, Michela Calabrese, the details of her encounters with both men. Weiner said the girl was waiting to disclose what happened, as child abuse victims often do.

But Calabrese testified Monday that her former roommate described in detail a consensual sexual relationship she had with Williams. The woman never mentioned having a sexual encounter with Cintron, Duncan told the jury.

"She was telling Ms. Calabrese while everything was going on," Duncan said. "So why didn't she tell Michela (about Cintron)? Because it didn't happen."

She also reminded jurors that the woman has filed a civil lawsuit against the Northeast Center for Youth and Families for failing to protect her from the alleged rapes at the residential facility.

Duncan said that the woman's statements about where she was sleeping at The Grove when Cintron called her into his office and molested her contradict her testimony about the various rooms she stayed in at the facility.

Weiner contradicted and explained away several statements that Duncan made in her remarks. While Duncan said the witness testimony only hurt the girl's credibility because of the different "versions," Weiner said that child abuse victims disclosures are often delayed and include different pieces at different times. He said the witness testimony, with the exception of Calabrese, all corroborated the woman's testimony.

He reminded the jury that if they did believe Calabrese that the woman and Williams were in a sexual relationship, then they believe that she was raped because a 15-year-old cannot consent. Thus, she was in a facility where sexual contact between staff and a client was happening. "That's the environment (she) walked into on her first day," he said.

In fact, Weiner said, Cintron took his cues about instigating sexual contact with the girl from Williams. After Williams was fired, he started "paying her more attention." He told jurors to keep in mind what the woman testified Cintron said to her when she asked to leave the office when he was making her uncomfortable: "What, only Fabian gets to have fun?"

Weiner told jurors to consider the woman's demeanor and attention to detail when she testified with emotion. She described in detail the shirt she was wearing when Cintron touched her inappropriately in the office, he said.

"It's not just what she said, it's how she said it," Weiner said. "If you believe what (she) told you in this courtroom, you have enough to find the defendant guilty of every charge against him."

Judge Mary-Lou Rup began instructing the jurors in the law regarding the charges against Cintron at 1:45 p.m. They are expected to begin deliberating later this afternoon.