'The Challenge': Stephen Bear Found Guilty in Revenge Porn Case
Stephen Bear, an English reality star who competed on three seasons of The Challenge, was found guilty in his revenge porn case Tuesday. The 32-year-old Celebrity Big Brother winner was accused of publishing a sex tape showing him with his ex-girlfriend, Georgia Harrison, on OnlyFans. Bear denied the claims and told the court "it was never a fair trial."
The surveillance video at the center of the case showed Bear and Harrison, who waived her right to anonymity, having sex in his garden in Loughton, Essex on Aug. 2, 2020, reports The Guardian. Harrison told the court she did not know they were being taped and told Bear not to distribute the footage. Bear ignored the request and shared it on WhatsApp and other online venues, Harrison said. She told the court she learned the video surfaced online in December 2020 and she needed to pay someone to have it removed from porn sites.
Bear denied this, claiming he deleted the footage and only shared it with Harrison. He said the footage was filmed after he "got smashed" during lunch with Harrison on the day the tape was made. He said they had sex once before it was filmed, then had sex in his garden. They watched the footage and Harrison asked for a copy, Bear told the jury. He claimed he deleted the video after Harrison asked him to. "Why would I want that on my phone?" he told the jury.
On Tuesday, the jury found him guilty on all charges after over eight hours of deliberation, reports Sky News. He faced two counts of disclosing private sexual photographs and films with the intent to cause distress. Ten of the 12 jurors also found him guilty of voyeurism.
After the verdict was announced, Bear told the judge he believed "it was never a fair trial, what the press said against me," adding that he was "fighting a losing battle." Judge Christopher Morgan simply replied, "Thank you for that observation." Bear was released on bail until Jan. 31 for the sentencing hearing.
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," Harrison said in a statement released by police. "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. I have felt ashamed, hurt, violated, even broken at times but today I stand here feeling empowered, grateful and a huge sense of unity with all of those who have reached out to support me throughout this ordeal."
Bear rose to fame after competing on Shipwrecked and Ex on the Beach. In 2016, he won the 18th season of the U.K. version of Celebrity Big Brother. He competed in three seasons of MTV's The Challenge between 2019 and 2020.