STEPHEN BEAR SENTENCED TO 24 WEEKS FOR SEX OFFENDER REGISTER BREACHES

Stephen Bear, winner of Celebrity Big Brother 2016, was sentenced to 24 weeks' imprisonment at Thames Magistrates' Court after pleading guilty to five counts of failing to comply with sex offenders' register notification requirements. Bear, 36, was placed on the register in 2023 following a conviction for uploading a private sex tape featuring TV personality Georgia Harrison to his OnlyFans website without authorisation. The sentencing came one week after Bear received a 16-month custodial sentence at Chelmsford Crown Court for breaching a restraining order by posting on social media about Harrison.

The breaches of notification requirements centred on an unauthorised trip to Brazil. According to the prosecution, Bear posted videos on social media from a Brazilian beach stating that police would be unable to apprehend him. He failed to inform authorities about the trip and did not notify officers within three days of returning to the UK, as required. Bear also did not report that he had acquired a new passport and two bank cards during the journey. In his defence, Bear stated he was unaware of the restrictions at the time, though he acknowledged understanding the requirements now.

Deputy district judge Claire Pithie imposed the sentence with immediate effect. The judge told Bear he needed to improve his decision-making to avoid future difficulties, noting that he had a child on the way. Bear complied with the court's instructions as he left the dock.