Former Devon Olympian jailed for sexual offences

Antony James jailed for 21 years

A former Olympic swimmer and student police officer from Plymouth has been jailed for 21 years for rape and other sexual offences against two teenage girls.

Antony James appeared before Plymouth Crown Court today, 26 February, to be sentenced for 14 offences which happened between 2012 and 2022.

He was convicted last October of three counts of rape of a female 16 or over, two counts of causing/inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, three counts of engaging in sexual activity with a girl aged 15 or under and six counts of making indecent photographs of a child.

The 35-year-old, who represented Great Britain at the 2012 London Games, was sentenced to 21 years in prison to serve 14 years with the rest on licence. He was also given a 25-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order and will sign the Sex Offenders’ Register for life.

The court was told that he groomed two girls under 16 at different times over the 10 years. He befriended them before quickly progressing to sexualised communication and activity.

He encouraged both girls to send indecent images of themselves and sexually touched one of them. The rapes happened when both girls turned 16.

James tried to convince them that the manufactured ‘relationship’ was normal for their ages and he would become angry and disappointed with the victims if they refused his sexual advances.

At last year’s trial the judge directed not guilty verdicts for a further three counts of intentionally encouraging/assisting an offence.

The jury were also unable to reach a verdict on another count of sexual activity with a child and an additional five counts of rape. The Crown Prosecution Service did not seek a retrial on those charges.

He denied all of the offences apart from the six indecent image indictments.

On sentence His Honour Judge Robert Linford commended the investigation team for their hard work and dedication during a lengthy and complex enquiry, praising the high quality and calibre of the work carried out.

Senior Investigating Officer Detective Chief Inspector Ilona Rosson said: “Antony James preyed upon and groomed his young victims in a calculated fashion, abusing their trust and convincing them to become sexually involved with him. He is a highly manipulative individual who exploited and controlled these girls for his own sexual gratification.

“He claimed that he thought the girls were over the age of consent when the offending began but his lies were exposed during the trial. He was well aware of their ages and continued to abuse them even after they turned 16.

“This was a lengthy and complex investigation led by the Major Crime Investigation Team and I thank the officers for their professionalism. Our thoughts remain first and foremost with the survivors in this case who bravely gave evidence in court and supported our investigation. We would not have achieved today’s outcome without their tenacity and courage.”

James began his training with Devon & Cornwall Police in October 2020 but was immediately suspended after initial disclosures were made in January 2022. He was subsequently dismissed from the Force in August 2023.

Assistant Chief Constable Jim Pearce said: “The sentencing of Antony James for these horrendous crimes follows a full and thorough investigation by the Force. He was immediately suspended when information came to light and was dismissed at the earliest opportunity.

“We hope that seeing him prosecuted and sentenced, regardless of his position, sends a clear message that we will not tolerate such abuse and harmful attitudes within our service. Maintaining the highest standards of integrity remains a priority and any wrongdoing or unacceptable behaviour will be subject to thorough investigation.

“We remain as committed as ever to reducing sexual violence and predatory behaviour, and to protecting women and girls from harm.

“Our thoughts are with the brave survivors who have displayed tremendous courage throughout this investigation and the justice process. I would like to remind victims of sexual offences to please talk to us, you will be believed and you will be treated with the utmost sensitivity.”