Rhiannon Ingle
Stephen Bear has been ordered to pay Georgia Harrison more than £200k for sharing a sex tape online without her consent in a 'gross invasion of privacy'.
In a court ruling this afternoon (26 July), Bear has been ordered to pay £207,900 in damages to Harrison over the breach of privacy case, making it one of the highest-ever payouts in a case of its nature.
The disgraced reality TV star, 33, was found guilty of voyeurism and disclosing private, sexual photographs and films back in December 2022 after sharing the video to his OnlyFans account on 8 November 2020 without Harrison's knowledge or consent.
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Judge Master Victoria McCloud has released a statement on the matter following the court ruling today.
"This is a case where the term 'revenge porn' is sometimes used, it’s a colourful term for the media," McCloud stated.
"This is a gross act of violation by a man towards a woman through the medium of the internet. A more appropriate term is image-based abuse.
"Pornography is generally actually something done consensually. It was consensual sex but it certainly wasn’t consensual filming, and it was deeply violating."
While Harrison’s barrister Gervase de Wilde added: "The defendant has been completely unrepentant, there’s no apology, and he has not offered assurances about the video and dealings with it in the future.
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"He is completely brazen, even in the face of his conviction.
"The only activity he had undertaken is to attempt to dissipate assets, being more focused on the consequences of this claim than actually engaging with the substance."
The barrister added: "This case is the most serious single infringement of privacy rights that has ever come before this court by way of a damages claim.
"The video had enormous circulation, global circulation."
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Back in December, Bear was found guilty by unanimous verdicts of two counts of disclosing private sexual photographs and films with intent to cause distress.
After the verdict, Harrison said in a statement: "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."
She continued: "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."