A man who ran a teeth-whitening salon has been sentenced to 26 years in jail for a spate of rapes and sexual assaults spanning more than a decade.

Ricky Stubberfield, 31, was convicted of 23 offences against seven women between 2013 and 2024.

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said some of the assaults occurred at the Essex Smiles salon in Plymouth, Devon, during the 2022-2024 period he was the co-owner and manager.

The CPS said a number of the women were contacted by Stubberfield on Instagram and offered free treatment in exchange for promoting his business.

When they attended their appointments, Stubberfield made sexual advances before assaulting them.

Other offences were carried out by Stubberfield at a variety of locations around Plymouth.

The sex predator, of Plympton, was arrested in June 2024 after multiple complaints were made to police.

In July, he was found guilty of eight counts of rape; nine counts of sexual assault; four counts of assault by penetration; one count of making indecent images of a child; and one count of exposure.

Stubberfield was sentenced at Plymouth Crown Court on Tuesday.

He was handed a 26-year jail sentence, plus an additional six years on licence once released back into the community.

Stubberfield was also placed on the sex offenders’ register for life.

HHJ Judge Linford stated: “Your behaviour was utterly remorseless predation.”

The CPS said the victims were aged between 16 and 27 at the time of the offences – all younger than Stubberfield.

Detective Inspector Marcus Hodges, senior investigating officer, welcomed the sentence.

He added: “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.”

This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly.

Please refresh the page for the fullest version.

You can receive breaking news alerts on a smartphone or tablet via the Sky News app. You can also follow us on WhatsApp and subscribe to our YouTube channel to keep up with the latest news.