Stephen Bear: Reality TV star guilty of sharing homemade sex tape featuring Love Island ex
Reality TV star Stephen Bear has been found guilty of sharing a video of him having sex with his ex-girlfriend Georgia Harrison on the website OnlyFans and could now face jail.
The 32-year-old defendant, who won Celebrity Big Brother in 2016, and 27-year-old Ms Harrison were recorded having sex on CCTV cameras in Bear's garden in Loughton, Essex in August 2 2020, Chelmsford Crown Court heard.
Ms Harrison said she did not know that they were being filmed and told Bear not to share footage when he showed it to her, but she said that he went on to share it on WhatsApp and online.
Bear claimed at Chelmsford Crown Court that he deleted the footage that day and had shared it with no-one other than Ms Harrison.
He had denied all the charges, but on Tuesday, a jury found him guilty by unanimous verdicts of two counts of disclosing private sexual photographs and films with intent to cause distress.
He was found guilty by a majority verdict of 10 jurors to two of voyeurism.
The prosecution said that the sex at Bear’s home in Loughton, in Essex, was consensual but that Ms Harrison, who has waived her right to anonymity, did not know that they were being recorded.
Ms Harrison, who has appeared on The Only Way Is Essex, Love Island and Olivia Meets Her Match, said that when Bear showed her the footage she told him “never to send” it to anyone and “made it plain how upset she would be if he did”, said Jacqueline Carey KC, prosecuting.
The complainant said she saw Bear send the footage to someone on WhatsApp later that day, and that later that year she was made aware that it was circulating online.
Ms Carey said that Bear uploaded the footage “either himself or had it uploaded to OnlyFans and profited financially”.
The judge bailed Bear until January 31 to return to the same court for sentencing, after a report has been prepared about him.
Bear, who denied all the charges and wore a black suit and tie, looked straight ahead as the jury foreman returned the verdicts after more than eight-and-a-half hours of deliberation.
After the guilty verdicts were returned, Bear said in court: "In my opinion from the very beginning it was never a fair trial, what the press said against me.
"I was fighting a losing battle and it is what it is."
Judge Christopher Morgan told the defendant: "Thank you for that observation."
Ms Harrison, who has appeared on The Only Way Is Essex, Love Island and Olivia Meets Her Match, waived her right to anonymity and watched from the public gallery.
She said, in a statement released through police, that the "last two years have been absolute hell and this verdict will allow me to start to put the pain I have suffered in the past and start embracing the future".
"I hope me taking a stand gives other men and women who have fallen victim to revenge porn the courage to seek justice and most importantly show them that they have absolutely nothing to be ashamed of," she said.
During his trial, Bear's Twitter account posted a "50% off" deal for his adult entertainment website alongside a photo of him arriving at court accompanied by his girlfriend Jessica Smith.
The photo showed him walking from a hired chauffeur-driven white Rolls Royce to the court building, and the accompanying text said, in block capitals: "50% off my adult site for the next 24 hours. Come see why I'm trending."
Want a quick and expert briefing on the biggest news stories? Listen to our latest podcasts to find out What You Need To Know