Stephen Bear: TV star will do anything to boost fame hears court
A former reality TV contestant is a “self-obsessed show-off” who will do anything to boost his own fame, a court heard.
Stephen Bear is accused of secretly filming himself having sex with Georgia Harrison and sharing the video online.
A jury heard he would broadcast details of women’s “private sexual lives” if it got him “notoriety”.
He denies voyeurism and two counts of disclosing private, sexual photographs and films.
During his trial, Chelmsford Crown Court was told Mr Bear, 32, of Bryony Close, Loughton, Essex, filmed himself and 27-year-old Ms Harrison having sex in his garden in August 2020 before sharing it on WhatsApp and posting it on subscription site OnlyFans.
Ms Harrison, who has waived her right to anonymity in the case, accused him of sending the footage to someone that evening, but the defendant said this was a “complete lie”.
He has denied uploading the footage and said he had deleted the video.
Jurors heard how he had earned £40,000 from OnlyFans and more than £2,000 from the video in question.
Ms Harrison, who has appeared on Love Island and The Only Way is Essex, said she never gave consent for the video to be shared and is seeking civil compensation alongside a criminal trial.
She told the court she discovered the video was online in early December 2020 and had to hire someone to get it removed from porn sites.
Mr Bear, who appeared on MTV’s Ex On The Beach and won Celebrity Big Brother in 2016, was arrested after returning from Dubai in January 2021.
In her closing speech, prosecutor Jacqueline Carey KC said Mr Bear had bragged from the witness stand about sleeping with models.
“He broadcast their private sexual lives in open court and gave no thought to their privacy at all,” she said.
“If it gets him fame, money, notoriety or trending on Twitter he will say whatever he wants, he will do whatever he wants and distribute whatever he wants.
“The prosecution are not asking you to convict Stephen Bear because he sleeps with women and doesn’t call them back. As ungentlemanly as it is, that is not what he is charged with.
“He is not charged with being a self-obsessed show-off. The prosecution are asking you to convict him because the evidence proves he is guilty.”
Defence barrister, Gemma Rose, said: “You may not agree with Mr Bear’s views or his work online but this is not a court of morals.
“You must judge the case on the evidence that is put before you.
“You cannot be sure that Mr Bear uploaded that video or instructed anyone to upload it.”
The trial continues.
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