A BRITISH Olympic swimmer has been jailed after he raped two schoolgirls and forced them 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 predator tried to claim the sex attacks were consensual and boasted in vile detail about tying one of his victims up.
James, 34, also bragged about “threesomes” and told jurors how he “strangled” the girl, claiming: “She made me do it”.
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 21 years.
The fiend 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.
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.
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.”
GettyAntony James raped two teen girls[/caption]
GettyThe swimmer was convicted of a string of sex offences[/caption] Creator – [#item_custom_dc:creator]
