Bolton woman who made false rape claims has longer jail term

Stacey Sharples, 31, from Farnworth, was originally sentenced to four years and six months in prison.

But this was raised to seven years after the Attorney General, Ellie Reeves KC MP, referred the case to the Court of Appeal under the Unduly Lenient Sentence scheme.

Sharples made the false allegations against men she had met online between 2013 and 2020.

Ellie Reeves KC MP, the Attorney General, said: “Stacey Sharples lied, repeatedly and deliberately, causing significant harm to ten victims and wasting hundreds of hours of police time that should have gone towards supporting genuine victims.

“Rare cases like this must not discourage genuine victims from coming forward.

“Every report of rape is rightly taken seriously and treated with the care it deserves.

Stacy Sharples (Image: GMP)

“Anyone who seeks to exploit or undermine genuine acts of violence against women and girls must be held to account.

“I thank the police for their diligence in uncovering the truth, and my thoughts remain with the victims who were falsely accused.”

Her repeated and sustained false claims led to eight separate police investigations and resulted in most of the accused men being arrested and detained in custody.

The investigations took months to resolve and are estimated to have consumed more than 550 hours of police time.

Victims described the serious impact the allegations had on their lives, including loss of employment and relationships.

Several also reported lasting damage to their mental health and said they were now unable to form new relationships.

Sharples was originally sentenced at Bolton Crown Court on March 11, 2026, after being convicted of 10 counts of perverting the course of justice.

Her sentence was increased by the Court of Appeal on September 9, 2026.