Former British star swimmer sentenced to 21 years for raping underage girls

British swimmer Antony James. Photo by AFP

At his trial at Plymouth Crown Court on Feb. 26, the judge said James, 35, was "held in high regard by many" and a "high-achieving swimmer" who had "ruthlessly exploited that" for his own sexual pleasure.

Antony James was sentenced to eight years for the first victim and 13 years for the second, for a total of 21 years, Daily Mail reported.

James approached the first victim when he was 21 and she was 14. He made her "feel loved" and like they were in a relationship before raping her at her home. Antony then moved on to the second victim, another schoolgirl, and raped her twice, prosecutors said, as reported by the Independent.

During the trial, the judge rejected the defense that the former Olympian did not know the age of the first victim.

"You knew what you were doing was seriously wrong but your desire for this young person overtook your self-control," the judge said.

Of the second victim, the court said she didn’t resist but "submitted."

During the trial, the second victim told James directly that she hoped one day her cells would heal so she would have "a body that was never touched and is clean of you". She added that her "formative teenage years had been stripped away" and still suffers from anxiety and panic attacks to this day.

The victim added that James was a "twisted and strange person" who "tampered and manipulated" her, according to the Independent.

The incidents are said to have taken place between 2012 and 2022. James had originally faced a total of 20 charges relating to three female victims. At an earlier hearing, he pleaded guilty to six counts of making child pornography, including two in the most serious offenses.

The former British swimmer denies eight counts of rape, four counts of sexual activity with a child under 16, inciting a child to engage in sexual activity and inviting a third person to engage in sexual activity with a child.

James was also charged with controlling and coercive behavior. However, after a lengthy trial, the former swimmer was found guilty of three counts of sexual activity with a child and one count of rape when the girl was over 16 in relation to the first victim.

He was also convicted of two counts of causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity in relation to the second victim.

The jury was unable to reach a verdict on five other counts of rape and one count of sexual activity with a child. He was acquitted of the counts of controlling or coercing behavior and two counts of causing a child to watch a sexual act.

Following his arrest, James was suspended from Devon and Cornwall Police, where he was a cadet. He is no longer an officer of the force, the Guardian reported.

James was told he must serve two-thirds of his sentence before being released on parole and placed on the Sex Offenders Register for life.

The 35-year-old former swimmer represented Great Britain at the 2012 London Olympics and won silver in the 100m butterfly at the 2010 Commonwealth Games.