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A former British Olympic swimmer, Antony James, has been sentenced to 21 years in prison for the rape of two teenage girls in the UK.
The 35-year-old, who competed for Great Britain at the 2012 London Olympics, was found guilty of grooming and repeatedly assaulting the two schoolgirls over an extended period. Additionally, he faced allegations of filming himself engaging with young women and taking indecent photographs of his victims from 13 years prior.
During his sentencing at Plymouth Crown Court on Wednesday, James was convicted of three counts related to sexual activity with a minor and one count of raping a 16-year-old girl.
His lawyer, Joe KC, urged the court to consider James' positive traits and give him a second chance, stating, "Yes, he is going to prison, he knows that, but there is another side to his character the court can reflect on. The fall from grace from the Olympics is a fall from grace of Shakespearean proportions.”
However, the presiding judge, Justice Robert Linford, rejected this plea, noting that while James was a ‘high-achieving swimmer’ admired by many, he had ‘ruthlessly exploited’ his status for his own sexual gratification.
The judge emphasized, "Despite the defendant’s assertions, the evidence that you were fully aware of her age was overwhelmingly clear. You understood that what you were doing was gravely wrong, yet your desire for this young person overshadowed your self-control."
He added, "These offences occurred between 2012 and 2016, and by 2016 your interest in the second victim had intensified. There were two instances of rape, which she found painful, yet you continued. She did not fight back – instead, she acquiesced – this is far from consent."
After reviewing the extensive evidence against him, Linford sentenced James to eight years for the offences against the first victim and 13 years for those against the second. The judge also ordered that James serve two-thirds of his sentence before being eligible for release on license and that he would remain on the Sex Offenders Register for life.
