Stephen Bear won Celebrity Big Brother in 2016 and also appeared on MTV’s Ex on the Beach
Reality TV contestant Stephen Bear has been sentenced to 21 months in prison for sharing a private video of him having sex with his former partner.
Bear, 33, shared CCTV footage of himself and Love Island star Georgia Harrison, which was uploaded to OnlyFans.
The judge said he had caused her “widespread humiliation and embarrassment”.
Ms Harrison said she was going through “absolute hell” in 2020.
He told reporters outside Chelmsford Crown Court: “Today’s sentence is testimony to what I have suffered and it sends a clear message that the police and the courts take this matter very seriously.”
Georgia Harrison, who appeared on The Only Way Is Essex and Love Island, spoke out outside court
“I want to let all the other victims of this crime know that I stand in solidarity with them and I have no regrets in pardoning my anonymity.
“I hope it deters anyone from committing this type of crime and I hope it brings them some sort of justice for whoever has been a victim.”
Bear pleaded guilty in December to eavesdropping and disclosing private, sexual photographs and films.
Before sentencing, she posed for a selfie outside the court building and began singing Lady in Red to a reporter wearing a red coat.
As she was led into the closet, she raised her hand to wave from the safe dock and said: “Good evening. Enjoy the weekend everyone.”
The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said he had shown a “complete lack of remorse”.
Georgia Harrison hugs a woman outside court after Stephen Bear’s sentencing
Bear was given a restraining order not to contact Ms Harrison, who appeared in The Only Way Is Essex and Olivia Meets every match for five years.
He was also ordered to sign the sex offenders’ register and will be subject to notification requirements for 10 years.
Prosecutor Jacqueline Carey Casey told an earlier trial that Ms Harrison and Bear had consensual sex at their home in Loughton, Essex, but Ms Harrison did not know she was being recorded.
Ms Harrison said when Bear showed her the footage he told her to “never send it to anyone” and “made it clear how upset she would be if she did”, the prosecutor said.
Stephen Bear, who arrived at an earlier hearing, poses for a selfie outside court before sentencing
The victim said she saw the bear sending the footage to someone on WhatsApp later that day, and later that year she learned it was circulating online.
Ms Carey said Bear had taken the footage “either himself or simply uploaded it to fans and profited financially”.
In sentencing, Judge Christopher Morgan said the disgraced reality TV personality “wanted to exploit the economic value of the recording”, as Ms Harrison “would have been known and recognized by many people”.
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After the hearing, Deputy Chief Crown Prosecutor Hannah von Dadelshagen for CPS East of England said: “I would like to commend Georgia Harrison for the bravery and determination she has shown throughout this case.
“In contrast, Stephen Beers showed a complete lack of remorse by never accepting responsibility for his abusive behavior, even going so far as to pin the blame on Ms. Harrison.
“Although she leads a public life, Georgia Harrison has a right to privacy.
“But he was snatched up by Bear to make money in the most egregious way.”
image Source, essex police
Bear was arrested at Heathrow Airport in January 2021
Her views were echoed by Det Con Brian Sitch, of Essex Police, who praised Ms Harrison for her “extreme bravery and composure”.
“This young woman stood in front of strangers in a courtroom and spoke about the most personal details of her personal life,” he said.
“He had to sit his family down and explain to them that this video was leaked.
“It was all because Stephen Bear thought he could secretly film his former partner and think he could get away with horrific crimes.”