POLICE have dubbed the crimes of Anthony Stocks as 'absolutely horrific and evil' after the 54-year-old was found guilty of attempted murder.

Stocks, of Iceni Close, Goring, was today (June 6), found guilty of attempting to murder a 10-year-old boy after throwing him off a cliff in Ovingdean, Brighton.

This was an attempt to stop the boy 'intervening' with Stocks sexually abusing an underage girl.

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He was also found guilty of four counts of sexual assault of a child under 13, one charge of causing or inciting a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity, and one count of rape of a child on at least three occasions.

Speaking after the conviction, the deputy senior investigating officer, Detective Sergeant Rachel Jackson, of Thames Valley Police’s Child Abuse Investigation Unit, said: “Over a period of around three years, Stocks had subjected the girl to sexual abuse and rape, and when the boy became aware of what was happening, Stocks hatched his evil plan to kill him.

(Image: TVP)

“What then transpired is nothing short of horrifying.

"He won the boy’s trust, taking him to see Chelsea’s football stadium, as the boy was passionate about football, and particularly Chelsea FC.

“From there, he asked the boy if he wanted to go to the seaside. The boy could have had no idea what Stocks had planned to do.

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“Stocks took the boy to one of the highest set of cliffs in the area and hurled him from the top, knowing that this would have almost certainly killed him.

“Miraculously, the boy survived this ordeal, although he has no recollection of the fall itself.

“Stocks had intended to kill the boy to get him out of the way so he could continue his offending against the girl. This failed, and Stocks was arrested.

(Image: TVP)

“He is a very dangerous individual, who had no thought about anybody but himself, to protect himself from prosecution by removing the boy from the equation.

“He has not 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.

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“They were clear in their interviews with police about what had happened to them, and it is because of their bravery that Stocks will now be sentenced to a long prison sentence as a result.

“This is without a doubt one of the worst cases of child abuse that I have investigated. The impact that this has had on both victims, as well as all of the officers and staff who investigated this, is not to be underestimated.

“I would like to thank everybody who was involved in bringing Stocks to justice.”

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