Anthony Stocks, aged 54, formerly of Icieni Close, Goring-on-Thames, has been found guilty of a series of heinous crimes, including attempted murder and rape. The unanimous jury verdict came after a joint investigation by Thames Valley Police and Sussex Police.
The shocking case unfolded when Stocks targeted a young girl, subjecting her to rape and multiple sexual assaults over a three-year period between 2019 and 2022. However, when a brave young boy discovered the abuse, he attempted to intervene and protect the girl.
Stocks, realising that the boy posed a threat to his criminal activities, hatched a sinister plan. He took the boy to a quarry in Oxfordshire with the intention of pushing him off the edge, but he changed his mind at the last moment. Later that year, Stocks lured the boy to the cliffs at Ovingdean, near Brighton.
On September 24, 2022, Stocks carried out his plan, pushing the boy from the cliff edge. The boy fell approximately 100 feet to the concrete floor below, sustaining extensive serious injuries. Miraculously, he survived, although he has no recollection of the fall itself.
Initially, investigators believed the fall was accidental. However, as they delved deeper, a darker motive emerged. Stocks had intended to eliminate the boy to continue his abuse of the girl without interference.
Detective Sergeant Rachel Jackson of Thames Valley Police’s Child Abuse Investigation Unit described the crimes as “absolutely horrific and evil.” She emphasised that Stocks had shown no remorse throughout the investigation.
Stocks is due to be sentenced at a later date. His actions serve as a chilling reminder of the lengths some individuals will go to protect their criminal behaviour.
