Victorian child rapist appeals case

A Melbourne man who was last year found guilty of raping a girl at her 10th birthday party has lodged an appeal.

Aung Thu appeared in the Victorian Court of Appeal on Tuesday as his lawyer argued for a distinction between his client's longstanding "sexual interest" in the child and a willingness to act on that interest.

Justices Robert Redlich, David Beach and Stephen McLeish reserved their decision for a yet-to-determined date.