Friday, March, 13 2026 - A woman who falsely accused 10 men she met on dating apps of r@ping her has finally been jailed.
Stacey Sharples, 31, admitted in court that she made up the
allegations against the men, most of whom were arrested and spent time in
police custody.
She even bragged to one of her victims that the police were
'not pressing charges. I've got away with it. Yet again'.
None of the men she accused were charged.
Her false allegations are estimated to have cost the
taxpayer £120,000 in wasted police and legal time.
At Bolton Crown Court, Sharples, from Farnworth in Bolton,
pleaded guilty to 10 counts of perverting the course of justice and was jailed
for four-and-a-half years.
Police launched an investigation after each allegation made
by Sharples and said the force's rare decision to pursue her as a suspect was
'not one taken lightly'.
Greater Manchester Police said some of the men accused
undertook intimate examinations, and almost all spent periods of time on police
bail or were released under investigation.
Detective Sergeant Steven Gilliland said: 'No officer goes
into a rape investigation with an intent to pursue the individual making that
report, and we do not want genuine rape victims and survivors to think that is
what will happen if they were to come forward.
'Genuinely, there is no better moment for a detective then
when you secure a conviction for an offence such as r@pe, as it is amongst the
most abhorrent of all offences and can cause lifelong trauma for those that
experience it.
'We took the allegations made by Stacey Sharples seriously,
explored all lines of enquiry and swiftly made arrests or interviewed of all
the men she accused.
We gave her multiple opportunities to provide further
explanation or information to us, after interviews with the men, and subsequent
evidence uncovered didn't align with her first recollection, as we understand
that trauma can impact how victims and survivors recount their experiences.
'Ultimately, as the evidence continued to demonstrate that
the reports were untrue, coupled with the desire for justice from some of the
men who had been falsely accused, it was right that we followed the evidence
and pursued the individual who had actually committed a criminal offence.
'I would like to pay tribute to the strength of these men,
who have endured an experience no one would ever wish to go through, and done
so with dignity. I hope they feel a sense of justice for what happened to them
today.
'To anyone out there who has been a victim of r@pe or any
sexual offence, I plead that the actions of Miss Sharples do not stop you from
seeking support, whether that be from police, a charity or support service.'
The men falsely accused by Sharples spoke of the effect the
claims had on their lives.
Many of them suffered mental health problems and were unable
to see their children while under police investigation.
Sharples met one of her victims, Reece Lockett, through
dating app Plenty of Fish in 2018.
There was some s£xual contact between the two, but Mr
Lockett did not pursue it further because he thought she was 'weird', the court
heard.
Sharples asked to meet him again the following year, but
this time with a friend. Mr Lockett asked his cousin Mr Austen, if he also
wanted to attend.
The four went for a walk at a reservoir but Mr. Lockett
changed his mind and told her that he would drop her off nearby rather than
back home.
Sharples became 'annoyed' at Mr. Lockett and told him 'watch
what happens now'.
She called 999 and accused both men of rape. Both men were
held for hours in police custody.
In his victim impact statement, Reece Lockett said: 'My life
was turned upside down the day I was falsely accused of r@pe. My mum and dad
disowned me. My partner of five years left me. I lost my part-time job.
'The situation affected my mental health a lot. I was
constantly stressed and anxious. My mind wouldn't switch off.
'I kept thinking about what people believed and how they saw
me. I was scared to walk around my own area because I felt labelled.
'People messaged me on Facebook accusing me of something I
didn't do, and that made me feel isolated and ashamed, even though I knew the
truth.'Connor Austen said: 'When this came out, I had no opportunity to explain
to my partner at the time about the false accusations. I lost my home, my
partner, and had to defend myself for something I never did. I lost my job and
couldn't get another one.
'It affects me still now in future relationship thinking
"can I trust them" or "am I going to be accused again'. She
ruined seven years of my life.'
Sharples went to the home of her first victim, Kaylum
Davies, in 2013, where other people were present.
She reportedly spent most of the time looking at her phone
and left after an hour without saying anything.
She then called her brother and told him that Mr Davies and
other men had forced her to perform s£x acts on him.
She also claimed that she was threatened with a knife.
Mr Davies was arrested and spent 18 months on bail, but was
never charged because Sharples' story was so inconsistent.
Kaylum Davis said: 'I want to say that this has affected me
greatly. Some of my friends fell out with me over this accusation. I still
think about this to this day.
'Now it's all out in the open and her lies have caught up
with her, it's made me speak about it more as it's easier to explain to people
due to all the other individuals in this case has said their part, who were
also wrongly accused.'
She also falsely accused James Blundell, whom she met on
Plenty of Fish. She invited him to the hostel she was staying at, and the pair
had consensual s£x, the court heard.
But after making comments that made Mr Blundell feel uneasy,
he left without telling Sharples.
She messaged him to ask why he had left but then told hostel
staff that someone had done something to her 'which she did not want', reported
the Manchester Evening News.
The hostel called the police, and Sharples proceeded to tell
them that she had been raped. Mr. Blundell was arrested and spent 17 hours in
custody before being released under investigation for six months.
Andrew Dearden met Sharples through an online dating app,
when Sharples asked if they were a couple after the pair had consensual s£x.
Mr Dearden was bombarded with messages from Sharples, asking
about his whereabouts and if he loved her.
She also falsely accused him of raping her. Mr. Dearden
spent nearly nine hours in custody before being interviewed.
Andrew Dearden said: 'Although I was released with no
further action for the allegations, sometimes I start to think about them, and
my depression starts to get worse. I then start thinking about how much easier
life would be if I wasn't here anymore.
'Incidents like what I have just described have happened to
me more than once, they have a detrimental effect on my life and cause me to
not look after myself.'
Anthony Green, another victim, was falsely accused by
Sharples of having 'hurt, bitten and strangled' her.
Andrew Jackson and Jack Byrne were also victims of Sharples'
lies.
Jack Byrne said: 'As a result of the allegation, I was
signed off work due to stress and anxiety. I was unable to function normally
and struggled with constant worry about my future, my reputation, and the
possibility of losing everything I had built.
'The stress affected my sleep, my appetite, and my overall
mental health. I felt depressed, isolated, and ashamed — even though I knew I
was innocent.'
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