Sexual predator falsely accused 10 men of rape in Oldham

A woman from Little Lever has been branded a 'sexual predator' after falsely accusing 10 innocent men of rape, devastating their lives and wasting police resources. Stacy Sharples, 31, made the false allegations between 2013 and 2019, causing men from across Greater Manchester-including several from Oldham-to be arrested, questioned, and publicly shamed.

The court heard how Kaylum Davies spent 18 months on bail after Sharples's first false claim on Boxing Day 2013. James Blundell spent 17 hours in police custody in 2018, while Astron Inman was so traumatised he moved to Sweden. Jack Byrne lost his job, and Lee Dixon suffered a mental breakdown from the stress of being falsely accused.

Judge Nicholas Clarke KC told Bolton Crown Court that Sharples's victims were 'untruly and unfairly branded as rapists within their families, their places of work, in their areas and on social media.' The judge described her as a 'sexual predator' who targeted men for 'immediate sexual gratification'.

Sharples was finally arrested in September 2019 and told police 'I'm a ticking time bomb' when questioned. She pleaded guilty to 10 counts of perverting the course of justice and was sentenced at Bolton Crown Court. The judge thanked her victims for their courage in coming forward, saying their evidence forced her to admit she had been lying all along.