A victim of a false allegation of rape by a woman who went on to make the same claim against NINE other men has told how she stole years of his life – and still avoided proper punishment.

Kaylum Davis was just 16 when he became the first victim of now notorious fantasist Stacey Sharples – who would go on to become one of the worst recorded sex crime liars in UK criminal history.

Kaylum had only fleetingly met Sharples – from Farnworth near Bolton – and had never even spoken to her, nor was he ever alone with her. Yet she singled him out as her target for the first of her multiple false rape allegations.

And because her pattern of behaviour only became clear years after her first lie, police believed her over him, meaning his young adulthood was destroyed, he says.

Over 12 years on from her first false allegation, Sharples, now 31, was finally jailed last week after pleading guilty to ten counts of perverting the course of justice in relation to fake rape claims against ten different men, including Kaylum.

But rather than drawing a line under his experience, her court appearance only incensed him further – as the tariff was just four and a half years.

Kaylum, now 28, from Oldham, said: ‘The sentence is a joke. She ought to receive the same sentence as a man would if he was convicted of rape – seven or eight years, or more.’

Kaylum began chatting to Stacey Sharples, then aged 19, over Christmas 2013, after being introduced on social media through a mutual friend.

Kaylum Davis was 16 when he became the first victim of now notorious fantasist Stacey Sharples – who went on to become one of the worst sex crime liars in UK criminal history

Kaylum (pictured with his partner) began chatting to liar Sharples, then aged 19, online over Christmas 2013, after being introduced on social media through a mutual friend

Sharples (pictured) accused Kaylum and nine other innocent men of raping her over a number of years before she finally appeared before Bolton Crown Court last month where she pleaded guilty to ten counts of perverting the course of justice and was sent to prison

He says: ‘We exchanged a few messages, all harmless. On Boxing Day evening, I met up with a load of my mates, both male and female, and she was there.

‘I didn’t speak to her all evening. I didn’t even sit near her.

‘As far as I can remember, she didn’t speak to anyone at all. She just spent her time scrolling through her phone then she got up and left without saying goodbye.’

Two days later, Kaylum was stopped in street by police in front of disbelieving friends and told he was being arrested on suspicion of rape.

He recalled: ‘I was in shock. I was with my friends, so they all knew about it. I was taken to a cell and held for hours. My mum had to be present at the interview, because I was only 16, and she was very upset.

‘The officers were asking me very explicit questions, accusing me of orally raping Sharples and being violent towards her, threatening her with a knife. I was only 16, I was mortified at the use of explicit language and I was really scared.

‘I tried saying I’d never been alone with her, I’d never spoken to her, but I felt they weren’t listening.’

Kaylum was then left on bail for 18 months, wondering if he would be charged or even jailed over Sharples’s lie.

He said: ‘As time went on, I panicked more and more. I realised there was nothing I could do to clear my name. But she could say what she liked about me.

‘I couldn’t find work after leaving school because I was on bail for rape.

‘Word spread, and some people shouted: “Rapist” at me in the street. There were horrible things about me on social media.

‘Even people I knew well asked me: “Is it true?”

‘I was appalled that anyone could even ask me that. I really went off the rails. I felt so angry, all the time.

‘My life was stuck. I couldn’t move on at all.’

After nearly two years of this, in 2015, Kaylum was finally informed that the case against him had been dropped – but with no details of why.

He says: ‘There was no explanation or apology, I was just expected to accept it.’

It was only four years later – after Sharples had gone on to concoct similarly baseless stories against numerous other men – that the police realised she was a serial liar.

At this point police got back in touch and asked Kaylum to support a prosecution against Sharples – which he agreed to do.

But even then the CPS decided that the case against her was not strong enough to justify charging her.

Kaylum says: ‘I was happy to help the police but then was told the CPS had decided not to recommend charges. I couldn’t believe she was going to get away with it.’

It was only after Kaylum personally appealed against the prosecutors’ decision that they finally decided to press charges against his tormentor.

Sharples finally appeared before Bolton Crown Court last month where she pleaded guilty to ten counts of perverting the course of justice and was sent to prison – watched by the ten men she had wrongly accused.

Kaylum told the Daily Mail how he felt he had to tell his partner of two years (pictured) about his past and how he had been falsely accused of a sexual offence he hadn’t committed

Kaylum, who is now in a relationship and expecting his first child, said: ‘We were all in court to see her jailed.

‘It was the first time I’d seen her in 13 years – I would not even have recognised her and yet she had torn my life to shreds.

‘In my opinion, she got away very lightly, she should serve a separate term for each victim. She has literally ruined multiple lives.’

He added: ‘Rape is an appalling offence, and genuine victims should be supported. But to lie, and accuse innocent men the way she has, is unforgivable.

‘Even after the sentencing, I’ve seen comments online questioning whether we’re innocent. The stigma of a rape allegation never truly goes away.

‘We have to live with the aftermath of her lies every day.’

Kaylum explained how, after he met his current partner two years ago, he felt he had to tell her about his past.

He said: ‘I was honest with my partner from early in our relationship. I told her about the allegations and the court case against Sharples, and it was a lot for her to take in but she was really loyal and supportive.

‘I am trying to move on from all this and we’re looking forward to our new baby. We want to put it all behind us.’ 

He added: ‘I was Stacey Sharples’s first victim but clearly not her last and I am glad her lies have finally caught up with her.

‘I want people to understand how damaging and dangerous false rape allegations are.

‘She has targeted ten different men and tried to ruin us.’

The cumulative false allegations are estimated to have cost the taxpayer £120,000 in wasted police and legal time – as all of her allegations were taken seriously at the time.

Greater Manchester Police said some of the men accused undertook intimate examinations, and almost all spent periods of time on police bail or were released under investigation.

Many of the men falsely accused by Sharples spoke of the effect the claims had on their lives after the sentencing last week.

Many had suffered mental health problems and some were unable to see their own children while under police investigation.

Sharples met one of her victims, Reece Lockett, through dating app Plenty of Fish in 2018.

There was some sexual contact between the two but Mr Lockett did not pursue it further because he thought she was ‘weird’, the court heard.

Sharples asked to meet him again the following year but this time with a friend. Mr Lockett asked his cousin, Connor Austen, if he also wanted to attend.

The four went for a walk at a reservoir but Mr Lockett changed his mind and told her that he would drop her off nearby rather than back home.

Sharples became ‘annoyed’ at Mr Lockett and told him: ‘Watch what happens now’.

And she then called 999 and accused both men of rape.

In his victim impact statement, 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 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 my job and couldn’t get another one.

‘It still affects me now in relationships as I find myself thinking “Can I trust them?” or “Am I going to be accused again?”

‘She ruined seven years of my life.’

Another victim was James Blundell, who she met on Plenty of Fish. She invited him to the hostel she was staying at and the pair had consensual sex, the court heard.

But after she began making comments that made Mr Blundell feel uneasy, he left without telling Sharples he was going.

She messaged him to ask why he had left but then told hostel staff that someone had done something to her ‘which she did not want’.

The hostel called the police and Sharples proceeded to tell them that she had been raped. Mr Blundell was arrested and spent 17 hours in custody before being released under investigation for six months.

Similarly, Andrew Dearden met Sharples through an online dating app, and Sharples asked if they were a couple after the pair had consensual sex.

Mr Dearden was then bombarded with messages from Sharples, asking about his whereabouts and if he loved her.

She then also falsely accused him of raping her.

Mr Dearden spent nearly nine hours in custody before being interviewed.

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.’

Anthony Green, another victim, was falsely accused by Sharples of having ‘hurt, bitten and strangled’ her.

Kaylum said his life was almost ruined as he was arrested and put on bail for 18 months while the case against him was investigated. He said that he was called a rapist in the street

Another victim, Jack Byrne, said: ‘As a result of her 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.’

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.

‘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.’