Georgia Harrison describes ‘absolute hell’ of Stephen Bear’s ‘revenge porn’
Harrison said she hopes her “taking a stand” gives other people who have fallen victim to revenge porn the courage to seek justice
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Georgia Harrison has spoken of her two years of “absolute hell” after her former boyfriend Stephen Bear was found guilty of sharing footage of them having sex on his OnlyFans page.
Bear, 32, and 27-year-old Ms Harrison were captured having sex on CCTV cameras in Bear’s garden on 2 August 2020.
The 2016 Celebrity Big Brother winner, who has also appeared on Ex On The Beach, claimed at Chelmsford Crown Court that he deleted the footage that day and had only shared it with Ms Harrison.
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 also found guilty of voyeurism.
Georgia Harrison, who has appeared on reality shows The Only Way Is Essex, Love Island and Olivia Meets Her Match, waived her right to anonymity to help other victims of revenge porn offences. Her full statement is shared in full below:
“The only way to describe how I am feeling now is relieved. 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.
“Bear’s behaviour was completely unacceptable and those who choose to commit such crimes should and will be prosecuted.
“We are living in a time where so much of our lives and our children’s lives are spent online and it is so important that individuals are protected in the virtual world just as they are in reality. Social media has given us the egalitarian belief that we are all publishers but what it hasn’t done is regulate what we should responsibly publish.
“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.
“I want to take the time to thank the Essex police force (especially Brian Sitch) and also Michelle Roycroft who have been such a huge support to me throughout and have worked tirelessly for two years to get to this point.
“I also want to thank my KC Ms Carey, the jury, the judge Christopher Morgan and all of the victim support team at Chelmsford for ensuring justice was served and helping make my experience as comfortable as possible.
“And of course my friends and family for being by my side. especially my mum who I couldn’t have done this without.”
Emily McFadden, an associate at law firm Bolt Burdon Kemp said: “News of Stephen Bear’s conviction today is absolutely testament to Georgia Harrison and her strength and clear determination to bring him to justice.
“There are many hurdles faced by victims of image-based sexual abuse (or ‘revenge porn’) in trying to achieve justice, including the level of societal victim-blaming which attaches to this specific crime.
“As Georgia has said, victims of this crime have ‘absolutely nothing to be ashamed of’; it is the perpetrators who have shared the images and videos, and only they who can be held to account for their actions.
“Georgia has spoken about how she hopes that her taking a stand will encourage other victims of revenge porn to do the same.
“I have no doubt whatsoever that her actions will show many other women and men who go through this crime that they are not alone; that they can speak up; that they will be believed; and that they can get justice for what has been done to them.”
Bear will be sentenced on 31 January.