UK reality star Stephen Bear has been ordered to pay £207,900 (approx. $400,000) in damages after non-consensually sharing CCTV footage of himself and ex-girlfriend Georgia Harrison having sex online.
Although the encounter between Bear, 33, and the Love Island star, 28, was consensual, Harrison didn’t consent to being filmed or having the footage uploaded to OnlyFans.
On Wednesday, the judge presiding over the case in UK’s High Court described the Ex on the Beach and Celebrity Big Brother star’s act as a “gross act of violation” and awarded Harrison the highest damages sum to be paid in an image abuse case.
READ MORE: Legendary singer Sinéad O’Connor dies aged 56
Speaking about her civil claim win via a press release, Harrison said, “I couldn’t be more thankful to everyone who has helped support my civil claim, which after almost 3 years has finally been settled.”
The influencer also explained that she will be donating part of her win to charities “that have helped support me and other victims of image-based sexual abuse”.
The order comes five months after Bear was sentenced to 21 months in prison after being found guilty of voyeurism and disclosing private, sexual photographs and films.
He was also placed on the Sex Offenders Register in the United Kingdom with a record that will last 10 years, and Harrison was awarded a five-year restraining order against him.
In a statement delivered outside the court following Bear’s sentencing at the time, Harrison thanked fans for their support.
“Today’s sentence is a vindication of what I’ve been put through and sends a clear message that the police and the courts take this matter very seriously,” Harrison said outside the court.
The judge at the time, Judge Christopher Morgan, praised Harrison for waiving her anonymity and speaking out about her ordeal, saying Harrison had suffered “extensive humiliation and embarrassment” as a result of Bear’s actions.
READ MORE: Iconic wrestler confirms engagement to yoga instructor
Previously Harrison had told the court how Bear’s actions turned her from a “happy-go-lucky” person into someone who regularly suffered panic attacks.
“I want to let all other victims of this crime know that I stand in solidarity with them and I have absolutely no regrets in waiving my anonymity,” she said.
“I hope that this puts anyone off committing this sort of crime and I hope for anyone else who’s been a victim of it, it gives them some sort of justice.”
For a daily dose of 9Honey, subscribe to our newsletter here.