Olympic swimmer accused of sexual assaults liked to be called 'Daddy', court hears

Antony James faces a number of charges relating to sexual assaults of three females between 2012 and 2022

A jury heard how an Olympic swimmer and former student police officer who is accused of rape and sexual assaults of three young women allegedly told one of them that one of the "hottest things" a girl had called him in the bedroom was "Daddy".

Prosecutor Lee Bremridge opened the case against 34-year-old Antony James of Crownhill this afternoon, stating the numerous charges the former Olympian is accused of.

The incidents are reported to have taken place between 2012 and 2022. They are:

• Sexual activity with a child x 4
• Rape x 8
• Controlling or coercive behaviour
• Causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity x 2
• Causing a child to watch a sexual act x 2
• Intentionally encouraging or assisting the commission of an offence x 3

Under the Sexual Offences (Amendment) Act 1992 any person who makes an allegation of a relevant offence - such as rape, sexual assault, sexual activity with a child - is entitled to anonymity during their lifetime. In effect this means that nothing can be written of a court hearing which risks identifying the alleged victim or victims.

Mr Bremridge described the lives of the three alleged victims and how the prosecution case was that James met and effectively groomed each of the girls, revealing his "perverse sexual needs and desires". He alleged James manipulated one of the alleged victims "in the most awful way", even attempting to arrange for her to have sex with another man.

Mr Bremridge told the jury that during the trial they would watch video interviews from each of the alleged victims and be provided with evidence including mobile phone messages sent from and to James.

The court heard that James has denied all the charges, instead claiming during police interviews that the sexual activity was consensual and that he was unaware any of the girls were under the age of 16 at the time.

The jury heard how James took "sexual" photos of all three girls over the period in question and would, on occasion, put his hands around their throats to strangle them during sex, leading to one passing out. One later told police she felt that she suffered "psychological abuse" at James' hands.

Mr Bremridge told the jury that James "knew all about psychology" as he manipulated the girls, having studied for a degree in psychology at Plymouth University, graduating in 2015. The jury was reminded that James was muscular, having represented Great Britain as an Olympic swimmer at the London 2012 games.

The jury was told by the prosecutor that one of his alleged victims recalled how he would ask "does it hurt?" during sex, before telling her "I want it to hurt". She had told police during her witness interview that James would allegedly call her "a little slut" and that she "deserved" to be "hurt" and "punished".

Mr Bremridge said that one of his alleged victims told police that James had told her that "one of the hottest things a girl had called him in the bedroom was 'Daddy'" and that he wanted her to dress up like a schoolgirl.

The jury was told that following James' arrest in 2022 police found evidence of James using the Chaturbate sexual internet site and recovered messages from 2019 under the name "daddyscock2019", where he referenced the name of an underage girl who he is alleged to have later raped and sexually assaulted.

The court heard how he told an anonymous woman online that she looked a lot like the underage girl, describing her as "very sexy", adding that he would "love to see her [the underage girl] naked". When asked by the woman what the girl's name was, he gave her a shortened version of the name, which matched the shortened version of his alleged victim, before asking the online woman "do you think she would f*** me?"

Mr Brembridge said James had effectively groomed this girl over time until she would do, as she said to police, "literally anything". The jury was told James would look for porn stars online who looked like the girl and get her to watch violent pornography, even while she was still underage.

Devon and Cornwall Police have stressed that the former student officer has remained suspended since his initial arrest and is no longer an employee of the force.

James denies all the charges.

The trial continues.

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