Reality star Stephen Bear has walked out of prison 10-and-a-half months after he was jailed for sharing a private video of him having sex with his ex-girlfriend Georgia Harrison on his OnlyFans website.
The 34-year-old was jailed on March 3 2023 after he was found guilty at Chelmsford Crown Court of voyeurism and of two counts of disclosing private sexual photographs and films with intent to cause distress.
Stephen Bear was sentenced to 21 months in prison in March 2023 for voyeurism and two counts of disclosing private sexual photographs or films (Jordan Pettitt/PA)
The TV personality, who won Celebrity Big Brother in 2016, and Harrison were captured on CCTV cameras, having sex in Bear’s garden on August 2 2020.
A trial heard that Bear uploaded the footage “either himself or had it uploaded to OnlyFans and profited financially”.
Harrison, who is currently in the Love Island: All Stars villa and has also appeared on The Only Way Is Essex, has waived her right to anonymity.
Reality TV star Stephen Bear outside Chelmsford Crown Court in December 2022, and after being released from HMP Brixton in south London on January 17 2024 (Joe Giddens/Jordan Pettitt/PA)
A bearded Bear walked out of HMP Brixton on Wednesday, dressed in a grey and yellow T-shirt and shorts and trainers, despite the cold temperatures.
He was also wearing a black beaded crucifix, and carried two black holdalls, which he loaded into the back of a waiting car.
A poll posted on Bear’s page on X, formerly Twitter, earlier this month read: “I will be leaving Brixton prison on the 17th January. Can’t wait to get my life back on track. Who’s excited to see me?”
Some 82% of respondents voted that they would “rather watch porn online paint dry”, while 18% said they “can’t wait” to see him.
Stephen Bear´s ex-girlfriend, Love Island star Georgia Harrison, has become a campaigner against revenge porn and violence since his trial (Stefan Rousseau/PA)
Harrison has become a campaigner against revenge porn and violence since Bear’s trial and said her time in the Love Island villa would be a welcome break.
Before entering the show, she said: “I really feel like I’ve missed out on that in the last couple of years because I’ve been fighting for myself and other women, which I will continue to do, but I’m just going to have a little six-week break. I’m having a sabbatical.”
In June, the law cracked down on people who share intimate images without the consent of those depicted following calls from campaigners, including Harrison.
It is understood that Stephen Bear has been released on licence (Jordan Pettitt/PA)
It is understood that Bear has been released from prison on licence.
When offenders are placed on licence, they face strict conditions including where they can travel and who they can contact.
They can be recalled to prison for breaching these conditions or exhibiting behaviour suggesting they pose an increased risk to the public.
A Ministry of Justice spokesman said: “Prisoners released on licence are kept under the close supervision of the Probation Service for the remainder of their sentence and can be recalled to prison if they breach the strict conditions of their release.”
