Ten men saw justice today after their lives were significantly impacted by false accounts made by 31-year-old Stacey Sharples between 2013 and 2019.
Many lost their jobs or partners, were disowned by family and friends or saw declines in their mental health after being falsely branded a rapist.
Stacey Sharples, 31, from Farnworth in Bolton, pleaded guilty of ten counts of perverting the course of justice in relation to reports against ten separate men on Monday 2 February 2026 at Bolton Crown Court.
This investigation was launched after the arrests or voluntary attendance and questioning of almost all these men, and once all investigative lines of enquiry had been pursued, which consistently revealed evidence contrary to what had been disclosed by Sharples.
Of the allegations she pleaded guilty in relation to, which were made between 2013 and 2019, most of the men were arrested and spent time in custody, with some also undertaking intimate examinations, and almost all spending periods of time on police bail or released under investigation.
Detective Sergeant Steven Gilliland, who investigated this case, 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 rape, 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 rape 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.”
Nine of the men who Miss Sharples made false allegations about provided impact statements, of which some of their comments are below, detailing how their lives were affected by the false claims:
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 on this case has said their part, who were also wrongly accused.”
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.”
Astron Inman said: “Words can’t describe the torment my head has gone through. I moved to Sweden not long after to re-evaluate my life and wasn’t a part of my children’s lives for a couple of years.
“My love life had dramatically fallen, I have been single ever since and I find it hard how to approach the opposite sex.”
Andrew Jackson said: “Due to the allegations made in this investigation, I wasn’t allowed to see my daughter throughout the course of this. My relationship with my daughter is really important to me and the fact I wasn’t able to see her has had a significant impact on me.
“I have missed out on key milestones and everyday moments, not being able to fix the situation quickly has caused me intense frustration and to feel powerlessness. I have worried about court outcomes for so long for something I know that did not happen. Being a parent is central to my identity and separation from my daughter felt like losing a part of myself.”
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.”
Reece Lockett said: “My life was turned upside down the day I was falsely accused of rape. 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 gonna be accused again’. She ruined seven years of my life.”
Another man who was falsely accused by Sharples said: “The arrest was difficult to process and as my family were present at the time and this made it very difficult to explain the situation. This really strained relationships with family and friends and to this day still has an impact on my relationship with them.
“At the time my ex-partner also prevented from seeing my child for the duration of the investigation. As you can imagine these were extremely difficult times.”
A man, who was the last Sharples falsely accused, said: “Immediately prior to my arrest, I would say my life was the best it had ever been. I had been with my partner for ten years. I had a good job, and I had a nice house. Soon after, due to circumstances out of my control, I became homeless.
“I began misusing alcohol – I was not drinking every day, but when I did have a drink, I would drink until I was black out drunk to drown things out – the things going on in my own head. I would stay out until 5 in the morning – acting like an idiot and getting into fights. If I’m honest with myself, I’m still struggling with that now. Before my arrest, none of this was a problem. I was never like this.”
