Stephen Bear could be forced to pay £200k after 'revenge porn' conviction - what is confiscation hearing?

Former reality TV star Stephen Bear is set to face a confiscation hearing to find out if he will be ordered to pay back any money after he was found guilty of 'revenge porn' crimes last year.

Bear, who won Celebrity Big Brother in 2016, was found guilty of of voyeurism and two counts of disclosing private sexual photographs and films with intent to cause distress by a jury in December 2022. He was sentenced to 21 months in prison in March and is currently serving the sentence.

The charges came after he filmed a sexual encounter between him and his former partner, Georgia Harrison, on CCTV and shared the footage online for monetary gain with Ms Harrison's consent. Ms Harrison waived her anonymity in the case to speak out about her traumatic experience.

He now faces a confiscation hearing to find out if he will be forced to pay back the profits made from the video under the Proceeds of Crime Act. Ms Harrison has also sued Bear for damaged amounting to £209,000.

What is a confiscation hearing?

A confiscation hearing is brought against those found guilty of crimes in which they are believed to have benefited from. The hearing will determine whether the gain made as a result of committing the crime will be taken away from the guilty party.

In this case, Bear allegedly made a profit of £2,100 from releasing a video of a sexual encounter with Ms Harrison for sale without her consent. The confiscation hearing will be held in the week commencing 24 July.

What was Stephen Bear been found guilty of?

The former Celebrity Big Brother winner was found guilty of sharing a CCTV video of him having sex with his ex-girlfriend Ms Harrison on the website OnlyFans.

Bear had claimed at Chelmsford Crown Court that the footage from that day had been deleted and that he had shared it with no-one except Harrison. However, the jury found him guilty of voyeurism and two counts of disclosing private sexual photographs and films with intent to cause distress.

After the guilty verdicts were returned, Bear said in court: “My barrister said not to…In my opinion from the very beginning it was never a fair trial, what the press said against me. I was fighting a losing battle and it is what it is.” Judge Christopher Morgan told the defendant: “Thank you for that observation.”

How long will Stephen Bear spend in prison?

Bear is currently serving a 21-month prison sentence at HMP Chelmsford in Essex. He was sentenced in March 2022 and is due to be released in December 2024.

According to reports, Bear was moved to an 'isolation wing' of the prison shortly after his incarceration over fears for his welfare.

What has Georgia Harrison said on Twitter?

Harrison has not commented on the sentencing delay on Twitter but has made references to the trial. On the date of sentencing she tweeted: “11.11 make a wish”, and on January 11 shared the caption “Karma is a beautiful thing.”

In an Instagram post on 15 December following the verdict, she thanked fans for their “support” during this time and gave words of encouragement to anyone who has “fallen victim to similar crimes.”

Her caption reads: “Thank you for all of your support. I truly want to let go of any negativity and concentrate souly on positive changes to our society to help protect everyone but most importantly the younger generation. to all of those who have fallen victim to similar crimes I hear you and I stand with you. We cannot control all of the things that happen in our lives but we can choose to not let them define us.”

The Samaritans can offer information and support for anyone affected by the content of this article. You can call their helpline on 116 123 or email [email protected] in the UK.