‘Vile web of lies’: Disgraced Olympian Antony James’ jailed over rape of schoolgirls

The silver medallist has been found guilty of raping two schoolgirls and forcing one to have sex with ‘strange’ men.

A British Olympic swimmer has been jailed from 21 years after he raped two schoolgirls and forced one to have sex with “strange” men.

Former Team GB star Antony James groomed the girls, who were under 16, to satisfy his “perverse sexual needs”, The Sun reported.

The predator tried to claim the sex attacks were consensual and boasted in vile detail about tying one of his victims up.

James, 34, bragged about “threesomes” and told jurors how he “strangled” one girl, claiming: “She made me do it”.

The controlling and manipulative fiend also forced one victim to have sex with strangers.

But the jury saw through his web of lies and he was found guilty of three rapes and three counts of engaging in sexual activity with a child.

James, who was also convicted of two charges of causing or inciting a child into sexual activity, has now been jailed for more than two decades.

Judge Robert Linford said James was “highly talented and highly regarded” but had “groomed and repeatedly sexually abused two people”.

The Commonwealth Games silver medallist competed in the 2012 London Olympics in the individual 100m butterfly. Picture: Getty

Antony James at a training camp in 2011. Photo by Michael Steele/Getty Images for British Gas

James reportedly targeted the victims between 2012 and 2022 and was training to become a police officer with Devon and Cornwall when he was arrested.

The force confirmed he no longer works for them.

One of his brave victims told the court how she hoped one day her cells would heal so she had a “body that was never touched and is clean of you”.

She said her “formative teenage years had been stripped from me” and told James she still suffers from anxiety and panic attacks.

The woman added: “The person I was supposed to be was taken from me – I always wondered what type of girl I would be if you didn’t do this to me.

“I feel like I’m playing catch up.”

She also described James as “twisted and strange” and told how she was “tampered and manipulated” to “be what you wanted me to be”.

She added: “After what you did I was left feeling vulnerable, weak and trampled.

“I accept you are not a good man, you do not love me and think I am special – you groomed me to be exactly what you wanted and used me.

“I hope you are struggling to live with what you have done – but somehow I doubt you will.”

James previously pleaded guilty to six counts of making indecent photographs of a child.

He was cleared of three other charges and the jury failed to return verdicts on six other sex charges, which included five counts of rape.

James represented Team GB at the European Championships in 2011. Picture: Getty

James will spent 21 years in prison. Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images

The Commonwealth Games silver medallist competed in the 2012 London Olympics where he was in the individual 100m butterfly.

He was also British National Senior Champion for 100m butterfly for four years in a row.

James represented Team GB at the European Championships in 2011.

Gemma Kneebone from the Crown Prosecution Service said: “Antony James manipulated and controlled his teenage victims to fulfil his own sexual desires.”

“He claimed that these young victims were over 16 at the time, but this was a lie which collapsed under scrutiny.”

“James was well aware of how young these victims were, and he set out to take advantage of this in a truly appalling manner, continuing to offend against them after they turned 16.“ This prosecution would not have been possible without the evidence so bravely provided by the young women involved, and I would like to thank them for coming forward to support the case.”

This story first appeared in The Sun and was republished with permission.

Originally published as ‘Vile web of lies’: Disgraced Olympian Antony James’ jailed over rape of schoolgirls