Disgraced reality TV star Stephen Bear has pleaded guilty to five counts of breaching his sex offender register requirements, marking another legal setback for the former Celebrity Big Brother winner.
Guilty Plea at Thames Magistrates' Court
At Thames Magistrates' Court on Wednesday, the 36-year-old admitted to five counts of failing to comply with sex offender notification requirements. The charges stem from his failure to inform authorities about an international trip to Brazil last year and his failure to disclose a new passport and two bank cards obtained during that trip.
Bear, a resident of Walthamstow, also failed to notify police within three days of his return to the UK, compounding the initial breach. It is understood he first arrived in Brazil in January 2025 and returned in April 2026 when his father died.
Details of the Breaches
The charges relate to specific dates: the new passport charge was on January 20 last year, and the two bank card charges were on May 14 this year. Defending Bear, Jesse Williams explained that the former TV personality was unaware he needed to inform police of his trip to Brazil. Williams added that the two bank cards were applied for after his NatWest card was blocked.
Williams elaborated: 'He had to pay rent and pay living expenses and he wanted to make sure that if one account was blocked or didn’t register then he had another to fall back on. While still in Brazil, he lost his passport. He then contacted the British consulate to get a replacement one.'
Background: 2023 Conviction
In 2023, Bear was convicted of voyeurism and disclosing private sexual photographs after uploading a private sex tape of his ex-girlfriend, fellow TV star Georgia Harrison, to his OnlyFans. He was sentenced to 21 months in prison and placed on the sex offender register. He served just over 10 months in HMP Brixton before being released in January 2024.
Following his release, Bear repeatedly posted about Harrison and his criminal trial on social media, leading Harrison to report him to Essex police. In June, it was confirmed Bear would return to court after admitting he breached a restraining order put in place to protect Harrison.
Sentencing for Restraining Order Breach
This latest development comes just ahead of Bear appearing for sentencing at Chelmsford Crown Court on Thursday for breaching that restraining order, which is unrelated to the sex offender register offences. The court will also consider the new guilty pleas in due course.
Georgia Harrison's Response
Harrison did not attend the hearing but spoke to The Sun about the outcome afterwards. She said: 'I didn’t go to court this week. I didn’t stay away because it’s too hard. I stayed away because being there would give him the one thing he has always wanted, and the one thing the manosphere machine runs on: attention. A reaction and a spectacle.'
She added: 'He shared intimate footage of me without my consent, and when the law caught up with him, he came back for more – because the attention was worth more to him than the consequences. That’s not just a man with a problem. That’s a man doing exactly what the system rewards. And that culture is the thing I want to help change now.'
Campaigning for Change
Since the 2023 trial, where Harrison waived her right to anonymity, she has campaigned for greater protections for victims of image-based sexual abuse. Her advocacy has drawn attention to the need for stronger legal measures and cultural change to support survivors.
