A BRITISH Olympic swimmer has been jailed after he raped two schoolgirls and compelled them to have intercourse with “unusual” males.

Former Workforce GB star Antony James groomed the women, who had been below 16, to fulfill his “perverse sexual wants”.

The predator tried to say the intercourse assaults had been consensual and boasted in vile element about tying one in all his victims up.

James, 34, additionally bragged about “threesomes” and instructed jurors how he “strangled” the lady, claiming: “She made me do it”.

However the jury noticed by his net of lies and he was discovered responsible of three rapes and three counts of participating in sexual exercise with a baby.

James, who was additionally convicted of two costs of inflicting or inciting a baby into sexual exercise, has now been jailed for 21 years.

Choose Robert Linford mentioned James was “extremely proficient and extremely regarded” however had “groomed and repeatedly sexually abused two individuals.”

The fiend focused the victims between 2012 and 2022 and was coaching to turn out to be a police officer with Devon and Cornwall when he was arrested.

The power confirmed he not works for them.

One in every of his courageous victims instructed the courtroom how she hoped sooner or later her cells would heal so she had a “physique that was by no means touched and is clear of you.”

She mentioned her “formative teenage years had been stripped from me” and instructed James she nonetheless suffers from nervousness and panic assaults.

The girl added: “The individual I used to be purported to be was taken from me – I at all times puzzled what sort of lady I might be should you did not do that to me.

“I really feel like I am taking part in catch up.”

She additionally described James as “twisted and unusual” and instructed how she was “tampered and manipulated” to “be what you wished me to be.”

She added: “After what you probably did I used to be left feeling weak, weak and trampled.

“I settle for you aren’t a great man, you don’t love me and suppose I’m particular – you groomed me to be precisely what you wished and used me.

“I hope you’re struggling to dwell with what you’ve gotten executed – however in some way I doubt you’ll.”

James beforehand pleaded responsible to 6 counts of creating indecent images of a kid.

He was cleared of three different costs and the jury didn’t return verdicts on six different intercourse costs, which included 5 counts of rape.

The Commonwealth Video games silver medallist competed within the 2012 London Olympics the place he was within the particular person 100m butterfly.

He was additionally British Nationwide Senior Champion for 100m butterfly for 4 years in a row.

James represented Workforce GB on the European Championships in 2011.

Gemma Kneebone from the Crown Prosecution Service mentioned: “Antony James manipulated and managed his teenage victims to fulfil his personal sexual needs.

“He claimed that these younger victims had been over 16 on the time, however this was a lie which collapsed below scrutiny.

“James was properly conscious of how younger these victims had been, and he got down to reap the benefits of this in a really appalling method, persevering with to offend in opposition to them after they turned 16.

“This prosecution wouldn’t have been doable with out the proof so bravely supplied by the younger ladies concerned, and I want to thank them for coming ahead to help the case.”

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