Former Team GB Olympic swimmer Antony James found guilty of raping teenage girls

A former TeamGB Olympic swimmer is facing a lengthy jail term after being found guilty of raping two teenage girls.

Antony James, who was a student police officer at Devon and Cornwall Police, has also been found guilty of multiple counts of sexual activity with a child.

The 34-year-old was a silver and bronze medalist in the Commonwealth Games in 2010 and competed in the London 2012 Olympics.

He denied carrying out a string of sexual offences between 2012 and 2022 and has been on trial at Plymouth Crown Court.

On Wednesday 16 October, James was convicted of eight sexual offences - three counts of rape, three counts of sexual activity with a child and two counts of causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity. The offences related to two teenage girls.

The jury found James not guilty of three other charges and failed to reach a verdict on six others, including five counts of rape.

During his trial, the court heard James knew the ages of his victims - who were under 16 - and became sexually attracted to them.

One of his victim's described feeling "pushed and violated" by James, saying she was scared he would "get angry".

She described meeting James when she was 13 years old and him calling her his "little sister".

During a police interview, she said: "There was many times I had sex with him I didn’t want to, I felt like I was leaving my body… I was just waiting for it to get over."

James, a student officer, was suspended from Devon and Cornwall Police following his arrest and is no longer one of employed by them.