Social media personality Georgia Harrison said she stands in solidarity with revenge porn victims following the imprisonment of her ex-boyfriend Stephen Bear.
Bear, who won Celebrity Big Brother in 2017, was sentenced at Chelmsford Crown Court. The 33-year-old ex-roofer and 28-yearold Ms Harrison were captured having sex on CCTV cameras in Bear's garden on August 2, 2020. Ms Harrison, who appeared on The Only Way Is Essex and Love Island, waived her right to anyonymity.
Jacqueline Carey KC, prosecuting, told an earlier trial that Ms Harrison and Bear both had consensual sex at his home in Loughton, Essex, however, Ms Harrison was unaware that they were being recorded. When Bear showed Ms Harrison the footage, she reportedly told him "never to send" it to anyone and "made it plain how upset she would be if he did", the prosecutor said.
The complainant said she saw Bear send the footage to someone on WhatsApp later that same day. Later that year, she was made aware that the video was circulating online.
Ms Carey said that Bear uploaded the footage “either himself or had it uploaded to OnlyFans and profited financially”. Bear denied all charges but was found guilty of voyeurism and of two counts of disclosing private sexual photographs and films with intent to cause distress - he was jailed for 21 months.
Bear was also ordered to sign the Sex Offenders' Register and will be subject to notification requirements for 10 years. He was also made subject to a restraining order not to contact Georgia Harrison for five years.
Speaking outside court, Ms Harrison said she was “happy and relieved that this matter is finally over”.
“Today’s sentence is a vindication of what I’ve been put through and sends a clear message that the police and the courts take this matter very seriously,” she said.
“I want to let all other victims of this crime know that I stand in solidarity with them and I have absolutely no regrets on waiving my anonymity. I hope that this puts anyone off committing this sort of crime and I hope for anyone else who has been victim of it (that) it gives them some sort of justice.”
Judge Christopher Morgan, sentencing, said the defendant “wished to exploit the economic value of the recording” of Bear and Ms Harrison having sex. I’m sure that you recognised the enhanced economic value to you by having Georgia Harrison, a well-known reality TV and social media personality, in the video,” the judge said.
He said Bear caused Ms Harrison “extensive humiliation and embarrassment”.
After Bear was jailed, he raised a hand to wave from the secure dock, and said: “Have a good evening. Enjoy the weekend everyone.”
Prosecutor Ms Carey described this as “turning up in, on any view, an ostentatious manner”, adding it was a “compelling indication the defendant shows no remorse”.
In a statement read to the court, Ms Harrison said she felt “physically sick” when the video was shared and was “crying hysterically for hours”.
“It makes me sick to think so many people have watched it,” she said.
She said her earnings had “dropped dramatically compared with before” and she had lost contracts. Gemma Rose, mitigating, said that Bear, who is of previous good character, had been assessed as having ADHD and mixed anxiety and depressive disorder.
“He told me he wants to go back to what he did before, to roofing, he said he wants a fresh start,” she said.
The judge praised Ms Harrison for speaking with “dignity and courage”.
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