The insertion of the images goes way back. Originally, it was probably through the image-insertion button. But it's been good for years. With this latest JCE update, the code is getting rewritten and, somehow, a space is getting inserted. You can't really see the space here, but before, it would just string all the IMG tags together one after the other, but now it looks like this -- and in there is a space after each.
<p><strong>Overall Enjoyment<br /></strong>
<img src="https://www.joomlacontenteditor.net/images/stories/ratings/fullstar_red.png" alt="*" width="15" height="15" />
<img src="https://www.joomlacontenteditor.net/images/stories/ratings/fullstar_red.png" alt="*" width="15" height="15" />
<img src="https://www.joomlacontenteditor.net/images/stories/ratings/fullstar_red.png" alt="*" width="15" height="15" />
<img src="https://www.joomlacontenteditor.net/images/stories/ratings/fullstar_red.png" alt="*" width="15" height="15" />
<img src="https://www.joomlacontenteditor.net/images/stories/ratings/emptystar.png" alt="" width="15" height="15" />
</p>
<p><strong>Picture Quality<br /></strong>
<img src="https://www.joomlacontenteditor.net/images/stories/ratings/fullstar_red.png" alt="*" width="15" height="15" />
<img src="https://www.joomlacontenteditor.net/images/stories/ratings/fullstar_red.png" alt="*" width="15" height="15" />
<img src="https://www.joomlacontenteditor.net/images/stories/ratings/fullstar_red.png" alt="*" width="15" height="15" />
<img src="https://www.joomlacontenteditor.net/images/stories/ratings/fullstar_red.png" alt="*" width="15" height="15" />
<img src="https://www.joomlacontenteditor.net/images/stories/ratings/emptystar.png" alt="" width="15" height="15" />
</p>
<p><strong>Sound Quality<br /></strong>
<img src="https://www.joomlacontenteditor.net/images/stories/ratings/fullstar_red.png" alt="*" width="15" height="15" />
<img src="https://www.joomlacontenteditor.net/images/stories/ratings/fullstar_red.png" alt="*" width="15" height="15" />
<img src="https://www.joomlacontenteditor.net/images/stories/ratings/fullstar_red.png" alt="*" width="15" height="15" />
<img src="https://www.joomlacontenteditor.net/images/stories/ratings/halfstar_red.png" alt="1/2" width="15" height="15" />
<img src="https://www.joomlacontenteditor.net/images/stories/ratings/emptystar.png" alt="" width="15" height="15" />
</p>
<p><strong>Extras</strong><br />
<img src="https://www.joomlacontenteditor.net/images/stories/ratings/fullstar_red.png" alt="*" width="15" height="15" />
<img src="https://www.joomlacontenteditor.net/images/stories/ratings/fullstar_red.png" alt="*" width="15" height="15" />
<img src="https://www.joomlacontenteditor.net/images/stories/ratings/fullstar_red.png" alt="*" width="15" height="15" />
<img src="https://www.joomlacontenteditor.net/images/stories/ratings/emptystar.png" alt="" width="15" height="15" />
<img src="https://www.joomlacontenteditor.net/images/stories/ratings/emptystar.png" alt="" width="15" height="15" />
</p>