Serial rapist who 'lured' women into his teeth-whitening salon jailed for 26 years

Stubberfield was found guilty by a jury following a trial at Plymouth Crown Court.

The court heard how the 31-year-old, who was co-owner and manager of the clinic, would "lure women with the promise of free treatment" before sexually assaulting them.

He was sentenced to 26 years for the offences, which included eight counts of rape, nine counts of sexual assault, four counts of digital penetration, as well as indecent exposure and making an indecent image of a child.

Sentencing him, Judge Robert Linford said: "You were a repeated sex offender, offending against women with a broad age gap and with a number of years.

"The lead offences are the offences of rape. All other sentences in respect of all other victims will be ordered to run concurrently. These offences were awful. I take into account the nonchalant way you committed these offences, and the equally extraordinary way you defended them at trial.

"It was almost as if you were unable to comprehend that women would not want to have sex with you. That is part of who you are, and it is worrying in the extreme. You do pose a significant risk of causing serious harm to the public."

Stubberfield's victims were all women and girls, aged between 16 and 27.

Police were made aware of the rapist in February 2022, after a 16-year-old girl came forward to report two attacks on her.

The teenager said she had been sexually assaulted on numerous occasions by Stubberfield, with one incident caught on a FaceTime call by a friend, which later became evidence.

He assaulted four women while they were receiving their teeth-whitening treatments, including three who had accepted his social media offers.

Numerous victims read out impact statements during the sentencing.

One said: "My body will never look the same to me, it will always feel dirty, it will always feel violated. I will never be able to be intimate with anyone ever again."

Another victim said Stubberfield is "manipulative" and "craves attention and dominance".

They said: "He believes he is innocent. He is clever, uses charm and wit to lure people in, only to reveal his darker side once they trust him. Everyone knew what he was like and now he is pretending to not understand the consequences of his actions."

One other victim said: "To Ricky - you took so much from me. You stole my confidence, my trust, my passion and sense of safety. But you did not destroy me. I have taken back my power, and I stand here today stronger than you will ever be."

Detective Constable Kezia Worden from Devon and Cornwall Police stated: "The sentence given today serves to recognise the severity of one man's sexual violence and the bravery of the women who stood against it.

"It sends a clear message that violence against women and girls will not be tolerated in our community.

"Ricky Stubberfield carried out a tirade of vile sexual offending for over a decade, over which time he preyed on multiple young women."