A 31-year-old man in the United Kingdom has been sentenced to 26 years in prison for sexually assaulting several women he lured into his teeth whitening salon with false promises of free treatments.
Ricky Stubberfield was sentenced on October 21 by a U.K. court and will also serve six years on probation after his release, according to Devon and Cornwall Police. He has also been placed on the sex offenders register for life.
Stubberfield was found guilty in June of 23 criminal charges, including rape, sexual assault, indecent exposure, digital penetration, and making an indecent image of a child. Police said his crimes involved eight victims aged between 16 and 27.
According to investigators, Stubberfield used social media to target young women, particularly those who were “popular on Instagram.” He messaged them offering free teeth whitening treatments in exchange for promoting his business, based in Plymouth.
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Police said that between 2022 and 2024, Stubberfield assaulted five women at his salon. “Four victims were sexually touched while receiving teeth whitening treatments, three of whom had responded to his social media offers. He also exposed himself to a fifth victim,” the police report stated.
Officers revealed that once victims were seated in the treatment chair with mouth guards on, Ricky Stubberfield took advantage of their restricted movement to assault them and make sexual advances.
The case first came to light in February 2022, when a 16-year-old girl reported that Stubberfield had assaulted her twice — once in a bathroom and once in his van during a concert. The assaults were partly captured during a FaceTime call to a friend.
Further investigations uncovered additional victims, including two women who said they were assaulted by Stubberfield in 2013 and 2021.
At sentencing, the judge described Stubberfield’s behavior as “utterly remorseless predation,” warning that he poses a “very high risk of harm” to the public.
Detective Inspector Marcus Hodges praised the victims for their courage in coming forward. “I sincerely hope they may find some closure and be able to start moving forward with their lives following this outcome,” he said.
