How a Teeth Whitening Scam Unmasked a Predatory Plymouth Salon Owner
Plymouth's Ricky Stubberfield's offer of free teeth whitening via social media was not a marketing tactic; it was a calculated trap.
The salon owner, 31, has been sentenced to 26 years in prison for a horrifying series of rapes and sexual assaults, many of which took place inside his own salon, Essex Smiles.
This landmark case exposes the critical legal and safeguarding risks present in the influencer economy and affirms the power of the UK Sexual Offences Act 2003 in prosecuting historic and digitally facilitated crimes.
The Lure: Digital Grooming and the Salon Trap
The full extent of Ricky Stubberfield's predatory behaviour was revealed after an investigation that spanned over a decade, with crimes committed between 2013 and 2024.
Stubberfield, the co-owner and manager of the teeth-whitening and tanning salon on Mutley Plain, targeted young women, some as young as 16 by contacting them through Instagram.
He offered complimentary cosmetic treatments in exchange for promotion, creating a commercial arrangement that masked his true intentions.
Once victims arrived, Stubberfield weaponised the professional setup. He used equipment, including mouth guards that restricted their speech and movement, leaving them physically constrained and isolated.
It was during these supposedly professional appointments that he carried out his horrific assaults, including sexual assault and indecent exposure.
The investigation, launched after multiple women bravely came forward, found Stubberfield had abused at least eight female victims. Detectives linked him to offences dating back to 2013, including the rape of a 16-year-old girl at a concert venue.
It took the courage and strength of the victims, some of whom initially believed they were the only one to come forward and finally expose the full scale of his remorseless predation.
A Sentence That Demands Justice
At Plymouth Crown Court on Tuesday, October 21, 2025, the judge handed down a massive sentence.
Ricky Stubberfield was found guilty of 23 sexual offences, including:
- 8 counts of Rape
- 9 counts of Sexual Assault
- 4 counts of Assault by Penetration
- 1 count of Making Indecent Images of a Child
- 1 count of Exposure
The judge described Stubberfield's conduct as "utterly remorseless predation," adding that he posed a "very high risk of harm" to the public.
He was sentenced to 26 years in custody, with an additional six years on licence, and will remain on the Sex Offenders Register for life.
Detective Inspector Marcus Hodges of Devon and Cornwall Police praised the victims, saying,
"They have shown remarkable strength and bravery in supporting this investigation and giving evidence. I sincerely hope they may now find some closure."
Why Deception and Power Failed
This landmark conviction is underpinned by the strong legal framework of the Sexual Offences Act 2003 in England and Wales, which addresses complex issues of consent and abuse of power.
1. Consent Must Be Free and Uncoerced
The law defines consent in Section 74 as a person "agree[ing] by choice, and has the freedom and capacity to make that choice."
Stubberfield's tactic of targeting women who were physically constrained and who felt obligated by a promotional agreement directly undermined this principle.
The court determined that consent obtained through deception, manipulation, or abuse of trust—especially in a quasi-professional setting like a salon—is no consent at all.
The systematic exploitation of his position and the use of the teeth-whitening setup were seen as significant aggravating factors.
2. No Statute of Limitations
The inclusion of historic offences dating back over a decade is a crucial feature of UK law: there is no time limit on prosecuting serious sexual offences like rape.
This allows survivors to seek justice years after the trauma, reflecting Parliament's recognition that victims may need extensive time to process their experience before reporting.
The ability of Devon and Cornwall Police to pursue the 2013 and 2021 offences ensured that Stubberfield faced justice for the full extent of his crimes.
The Stubberfield Precedent and the Influencer Economy
The conviction of Ricky Stubberfield delivers a critical, professional-grade message to the entire digital commercial landscape, particularly the influencer economy.
It powerfully illustrates the profound risks present when the pursuit of “exposure” or “free services” blurs personal and professional boundaries, creating environments vulnerable to sexual exploitation.
Beyond its criminal dimensions, the conviction underscores wider brand-and-influencer litigation risks, highlighting how reputational damage and safeguarding failures can expose businesses to costly legal consequences.
Key Legal and Commercial Implications:
- Vulnerability in Digital Exchange: The legal framework recognised that the offer of complimentary cosmetic treatments via platforms like Instagram served as a form of inducement. Lawyers and safeguarding specialists emphasise that this practice generates an imbalance of power, which predators can exploit to isolate and manipulate victims.
- Abuse of Trust as an Aggravating Factor: The court's severe sentence underscores the gravity of leveraging a quasi-professional position (salon owner/business manager) and commercial arrangements to facilitate sexual offences. This conduct is viewed as a significant abuse of trust.
- The Unwavering Line of Consent: The central legal takeaway is non-negotiable: an individual's right to sexual autonomy is absolute. This protection is not diluted, compromised, or nullified simply because the interaction began on a social media platform or occurred within a commercial or professional setting.
- Precedent for Digital Grooming: This conviction sets a clear and robust precedent for law enforcement and the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), affirming that they will vigorously pursue and prosecute cases where digital grooming and the abuse of commercial or promotional arrangements escalate into criminal sexual assault under the Sexual Offences Act 2003.
The Stubberfield case mandates that businesses engaging with influencers, and the influencers themselves, must exercise heightened due diligence and clearly defined safeguarding policies to mitigate these systemic risks.
If you or someone you know has been affected by sexual violence, please remember you are not alone. You can contact Rape Crisis England & Wales at 0808 500 2222 for confidential support.
