A man who ran a teeth-whitening business has been jailed for 26 years after sexually assaulting women he lured to his clinic under the pretence of free treatments. Ricky Stubberfield, 31, messaged young women with followings on Instagram to offer them his services in exchange for promoting the business on social media.
However, when they arrived at Essex Smiles in Plymouth, they were subject to lewd remarks and assault. Between 2022 and 2024, Stubberfield abused three women who answered his social media offer and two other regular female customers. He also abused three other women at various locations, including at a concert, between 2013 and 2022, Plymouth Crown Court heard.
Stubberfield was convicted in June of 23 offences – eight counts of rape, nine counts of sexual assault, four counts of digital penetration, indecent exposure and making an indecent image of a child.
On Tuesday, he was jailed for 26 years, plus an additional six years in license, and forced to sign the Sex Offenders’ Register for life.
In victim impact statements read in court, one woman said she had to move out of Plymouth following the attack. She said: “My body will never look the same to me, I will always be dirty.”
Another added: “I no longer felt safe in my own body.”
A third told the court that she experienced suicidal thoughts as she felt “ashamed, guilty and completely alone”. She added: “That is the damage this man caused me.”
HHJ Judge Linford said to Stubberfield on sentencing: “Your behaviour was utterly remorseless predation.”
He said the crimes were “part of your personality”, which was “very worrying”, and warned that Stubberfield posed a “very high risk of harm” to the public.
Detective Inspector Marcus Hodges, senior investigating officer, said: “I welcome the sentence given today to a man who preyed on young women for over a decade.
“My utmost thanks and praise are with the victims who not only had the courage to report the offences, but to support the police investigation and give evidence in court.
“Their strength and bravery is admirable, and I sincerely hope that they may find some closure and be able to start moving forward with their lives following this outcome.”
