Stephen Bear trial: Reality TV contestant denies uploading sex tape

A former reality TV contestant has told a court he deleted a video of himself having sex with his ex-girlfriend.

Stephen Bear, giving evidence at his trial, also denied uploading the footage to the website OnlyFans.

He is accused of secretly filming himself with Georgia Harrison and sharing the video online.

The 32-year-old, of Bryony Close, Loughton, Essex, denies voyeurism and two counts of disclosing private, sexual photographs and films.

"I don't know of any video being uploaded," he told Chelmsford Crown Court.

"All I know is a 20-minute video I had at the time. I don't know of any other video that's been uploaded."

Mr Bear told jurors on Thursday he "got smashed" over lunch with 27-year-old ex-partner Ms Harrison on 2 August 2020.

He said they then had sex at a nearby sunbed shop he was renovating, before having sex again in his garden.

The defendant said the pair watched back footage, caught on his CCTV security cameras, and that she asked for a copy.

"I said 'of course I will send you a copy', it was 20 minutes long," Mr Bear told jurors.

He admitted that Ms Harrison "told me to delete the footage, which I did" that same day, adding: "Why would I want that on my phone?"

Mr Bear appeared on MTV's Ex On The Beach and won Celebrity Big Brother in 2016, while Ms Harrison has appeared on Love Island and The Only Way is Essex.

Ms Harrison, who has waived her right to anonymity in the case, accused him of sending the footage to someone via WhatsApp that evening, but the defendant said this was a "complete lie".

He said he never changed his subscription price on his OnlyFans account, which was deactivated in December 2020.

Mr Bear said he was arrested by four armed police officers at Heathrow Airport on his birthday in January 2021 after returning from Dubai.

He said he received £40,000 from content on his OnlyFans page, but when asked if his online account was hacked, Mr Bear said: "I'm saying that this footage was never even on OnlyFans.

"It was never on there and it was never sold."

Mr Bear accused prosecutor Jacqueline Carey KC of "guesswork" and said: "You had better move on because you're looking a bit silly."

When asked about his career, the defendant described himself as a "jack-of-all-trades" having worked as a labourer, in roofing, television and more recently adult entertainment.

The trial continues.

Find BBC News: East of England on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. If you have a story suggestion email [email protected]