A man who attempted to murder a child who had intervened to stop him from raping and sexually assaulting another child has been sentenced today after being convicted of multiple offences, including attempted murder and rape.
Anthony Stocks, 54, formerly of Icieni Close, Goring-on-Thames, was found guilty by a unanimous jury verdict at Oxford Crown Court of four counts of sexual assault of a child under 13, one count of causing or inciting a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity, rape, and attempted murder. The trial concluded on 6 June 2024.
Returning to the same court for sentencing, Stocks was sentenced to life in prison, serving a minimum of 19 and a half years.
A joint investigation by Thames Valley Police and Sussex Police uncovered that Stocks had devised a plan to kill a young boy who tried to stop him from offending against a young girl. Initially, Stocks took the boy to a quarry in Oxfordshire with the intent to push him off the edge but changed his mind. However, on 24 September 2022, he carried out his plan at a set of cliffs in Ovingdean, near Brighton, pushing the boy from the cliff edge.
Despite sustaining extensive serious injuries, the boy miraculously survived. Initially believed to be an accident, further investigation revealed a much darker motive behind the fall. Stocks was arrested on 23 November 2023 on suspicion of attempted murder, rape, and other sexual offences and was charged on the same day.
Between 2019 and 2022, while staying at an address in east Oxfordshire, Stocks subjected a girl to rape and multiple sexual assaults. The boy, who became aware of Stocks’ offending, attempted to intervene, which led Stocks to plan his murder. The girl had confided in the boy about the abuse, and in a bid to stop the incidents, the boy confronted Stocks. Stocks then took the boy to a quarry with the intention to push him from the edge, which he did not follow through with at the time. Later that year, Stocks took the boy to see Chelsea Football Club before heading to Brighton, where he carried out his plan at Ovingdean cliffs.
Deputy Senior Investigating Officer, Detective Sergeant Rachel Jackson of Thames Valley Police’s Child Abuse Investigation Unit, said: “I am pleased that today, Stocks has been handed a very significant sentence for his horrific and evil offences against two young children. Stocks is an extremely dangerous individual, who had no thought about anybody but himself, to protect himself from prosecution by removing the boy from the equation. He has never shown any remorse throughout the course of this investigation. I would like to praise both victims for their unbelievable courage and resolve that helped us to bring Stocks to justice. They showed immense maturity and clarity, both in their interviews with police and at court, about what had happened to them. It’s because of this truly inspirational courage that Stocks has now been brought to justice and will now be in prison for a long time, where he deserves to be.”
Detective Inspector Matt Stevens of Sussex Police added: “Anthony Stocks’ calculated offending betrayed the trust of two young people. Both victims must now live with the impact of Stocks’ crimes for the rest of their lives, but it is testament to both of them how they have supported our investigation and are moving on with their lives. They have shown remarkable courage, bravery, and determination to support this investigation through to its conclusion. I would like to thank them both for helping us bring Stocks to justice. The events of 24 September 2022, were also extremely alarming for residents of Ovingdean and the wider community. It was a miracle it did not end in more tragic circumstances, and I would also like to thank all of those who came forward with information and messages of support. Finally, I commend my colleagues and detectives in both Thames Valley Police and Sussex Police for their outstanding work on this joint and very complex investigation.”
Authorities encourage victims of sexual offences to report incidents to the police online or via 101, ensuring they will be believed and supported. Always dial 999 in an emergency.
