Stephen Bear will return to court next month after admitting he breached a restraining order put in place to protect his ex-girlfriend, Love Island star Georgia Harrison. The disgraced reality TV personality is due to be sentenced at Chelmsford Crown Court after pleading guilty to the offence, which relates to a series of social media posts he made following his release from prison.
Background of the Case
Bear, from Loughton, Essex, was jailed in 2023 after being convicted of voyeurism and disclosing private sexual photographs and films without consent after secretly recording himself having sex with Harrison before uploading the footage online. He was sentenced to 21 months in prison and ordered to repay £22,305 that prosecutors said he earned from sharing the video on OnlyFans. Bear was released from HMP Brixton in January 2024 after serving just over 10 months.
Breach of Restraining Order
Following his release, Bear repeatedly posted about Harrison and his criminal trial on social media, insisting the case against him had been ‘fixed’. The posts, which were made while Harrison was pregnant, included photographs of her alongside defamatory statements, prompting her to report him to Essex Police.
Georgia Harrison Speaks Out
Speaking after Bear’s sentencing date was confirmed, Harrison explained why she chose not to attend this week’s hearing. ‘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 told The Sun. ‘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.’
Police Condemnation
Detective Constable Swarv Stafin, who investigated the restraining order breach, condemned Bear’s actions. ‘Stephen Bear’s behaviour is not okay and it should not be normalised or accepted,’ he said. ‘The impacts of being harassed are very real. It causes a great deal of stress and anxiety – it is something no-one should have to experience. The fact that he has admitted the charge against him shows he knew very well what he was doing was wrong and he knew he was breaching the restraining order.’
Impact and Advocacy
Harrison waived her right to anonymity during Bear’s original criminal trial as she campaigned for stronger protections for victims of image-based sexual abuse. Her advocacy has highlighted the ongoing harassment victims face even after perpetrators are convicted.
