Anthony Stocks, previously residing in Goring-on-Thames, was convicted on June 6 at Oxford Crown Court for attempting to murder a boy who tried to stop Stocks from assaulting an underage girl.
The 54-year-old, who had aspirations to ‘marry’ the girl, had repeatedly sexually assaulted her in the early 2020s.
The court heard that the boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, intervened to prevent the assaults, prompting Stocks to try to kill him.
Stocks was also convicted of four counts of sexual assault of a child under 13, one charge of inciting a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity, and one count of raping a child on at least three occasions.
At the same court on Friday, Judge Nigel Daly sentenced him to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 19 and a half years.
“You have ruined the lives of these two children,” Judge Daly remarked.
During the sentencing, prosecutor Zoe Johnson KC read victim impact statements from the children.
The girl said, “I was scared all the time. My life was different from other children and I was always at home. [Stocks] frightened me, I couldn’t get away from him. Now, I have a proper life. I go to school and I have fun.”
The boy said, “I was too young to have to protect [the girl]. Someone else should have to do that. It made me grow up quicker. It was stressful. I felt angry at the time and I feel angry now. I now know that [Stocks] pushed me off the cliff. I can’t find the right words to say how that makes me feel.”
Defending Stocks, his barrister Martin Rutherford argued that his previous character, learning difficulties, and how these affect his thinking and dangerousness should allow for a sentence that gives him hope of release in the distant future.
“He knows that sex with children is wrong. He knows that trying to kill [the boy] is wrong. But whether he has the skills to actually comprehend the depth and scale of his wrongdoing is a more moot point,” Rutherford stated.
Concluding, Judge Daly praised the children for their courage and clarity in giving their accounts, describing their determination as humbling and impressive.
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