The lawyer for an Edmonton taekwondo instructor on trial for sexual assault told a jury Wednesday that his client was the victim of hysteria among parents.

"A prairie fire started here unnecessarily," Brian Beresh said in closing arguments at the trial of Thomas Innerebner.

Beresh said everything started when one little girl told another girl that Innerebner was a "bad guy."

Innerebner, 52, is charged with eight counts of touching children under 14 for a sexual purpose and nine counts of sexual assault.

After the initial accusations were made against the instructor, the flames were then fanned by "hysterical" parents who never checked out the situation, Beresh argued.

The situation escalated further after a newspaper article was published in 2007 that Innerebner had been charged with sexual assault, Beresh said. Six more complainants came forward after that.

Accused not reliable or credible, Crown argues

But Crown prosecutor David Hill told the jury that Innerebner misled them when he took the stand. Hill said the testimony of the accused was "not reliable, not credible, evasive."

"My hope is that you will recognize the truth when it is right before your eyes," Hill said, telling the jury they could be certain the complainants' testimony was true.

In one case, a girl testified that Innerebner touched her breast repeatedly.

"This is not rocket science. This is a sexual assault," Hill said.

Innerebner has pleaded not guilty to all charges. In his testimony earlier this week, he denied ever molesting or inappropriately touching any of his students.

There are nine complainants in the case - seven children and two women. Most of the incidents were alleged to have occurred during Innerebner's martial arts classes over a nine and half year period.

The jury is expected to start its deliberations on Thursday.