Stephen Bear boasted from a South American beach that law enforcement could not apprehend him while breaking his obligations as a registered sex offender, Thames Magistrates’ Court was told.
The 36-year-old former reality television personality was not actively fleeing, though conditions of his registration required him to report international travel to the authorities.
The past winner of Celebrity Big Brother in 2016 received a 24-week custodial sentence on Friday after pleading guilty to five counts of failing to adhere to notification requirements on the sex offenders register.
He had been placed on the register following a 2023 prison sentence for releasing a private sex tape involving his former partner, reality TV star Georgia Harrison, on his OnlyFans website.
The unapproved overseas trip was uncovered after Bear uploaded content to social media directly from a beach in Brazil.
Prosecutor Maisa Mamman informed the court that Bear had shared online footage of himself on a beach in Brazil, declaring that “the police will not be able to catch” him.
She added: “He posted on social media videos essentially bragging he was in Brazil.”
Bear failed to alert police ahead of his journey to Brazil last year and subsequently neglected to inform officers within three days of his return to the UK.
Furthermore, he did not declare that he had obtained a new passport alongside two bank cards while abroad.
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Speaking in mitigation, his legal team stated Bear was unaware of the restrictions at the time, though he is now clear about what the requirements demand.
Enforcing an immediate sentence, Deputy district judge Claire Pithie told him: “You need to work on your strategies. Otherwise you will keep ending up finding yourself in difficult situations.
“You have a baby on the way.”
As he walked from the dock, Bear told the judge: “Thank you, have a good day”.
Bear was brought to court in custody, having been handed a 16-month prison term at Chelmsford Crown Court last week for breaching a restraining order by posting on social media about Ms Harrison, who found fame on reality show The Only Way Is Essex.
When asked to confirm his personal details, Bear gave his standard address as Walthamstow in east London, adding that he was currently staying “in Chelmsford” in reference to his recent prison sentence.
In addition to his jail term, he was ordered to pay £85 costs and a £154 surcharge, with a deadline of March 2027 to pay it off.
During a break in the sentencing hearing, Bear and his wife Miami, who is eight months pregnant, threw heart-shaped hand signs to each other.
He also sent his family a thumbs-up sign.
At an earlier hearing, the court was told that Bear was unaware he had to notify police of his trip to Brazil within three days of returning.
After his NatWest card was blocked while there, he applied for cards from Wise and Revolut.
He needed to pay rent and living expenses, seeking backup options to ensure he had another account to fall back on if one was blocked or failed to function.
Having lost his passport while still in Brazil, he contacted the British consulate to secure a replacement.
The court previously heard that the defendant returned to the UK in April 2026 following the death of his father.
Bear admitted failing to comply with notification requirements of the sex offenders register by not informing police of foreign travel on 17 January last year, as well as by failing to tell officers that he had returned to the UK within the required three days on 27 April this year.
The charge relating to the new passport occurred on 20 January last year, while the two bankcard charges took place on 14 May this year.
The sex offenders register notification requirements were imposed for a decade at his sentencing in 2023.
He was jailed after being found guilty of voyeurism and of two counts of disclosing private sexual photographs and films with intent to cause distress.
Bear and Ms Harrison were captured having sex by CCTV cameras in his garden on 2 August 2020.
In June 2024, Chelmsford Crown Court heard Bear had repaid the £22,305 he had illegally earned by sharing a private sex tape online.
This payment followed a confiscation order issued by a judge who warned Bear he faced an additional nine months in prison if he did not pay the sum within three months.
The order was made at a Proceeds of Crime Act hearing after Bear walked out of prison having served 10-and-a-half months of his 21-month sentence for sharing the film.
Last week, Bear was jailed at Chelmsford Crown Court for breaching a restraining order by posting on social media about Ms Harrison.
Between March and July 2025, Bear repeatedly posted about Ms Harrison on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, X and YouTube, despite a restraining order banning him from doing so, the CPS said.
