Stephen Bear admits five sex offenders register breaches in Walthamstow

Stephen Bear, of Walthamstow, admitted five counts of failing to comply with sex offenders register notification requirements during a hearing at Thames Magistrates’ Court on 5 August 2026. The charges relate to his travel to Brazil in January 2025 and his return to the UK in April 2026, as well as changes to his passport and bank accounts.

Bear was placed on the sex offenders register for ten years in 2023 after being convicted of voyeurism and disclosing private sexual photographs of his former partner, Georgia Harrison. The register requires individuals to notify police of foreign travel, changes to personal details, and other specified information within three days.

What the breaches involved

The court heard Bear did not inform police of his departure for Brazil on 17 January 2025. Upon his return to the UK on 27 April 2026, he failed to notify authorities within the required three-day period. Additionally, he did not report acquiring a new passport on 20 January 2025 or two new bank cards on 14 May 2026.

Jesse Williams, defending, told the court Bear was unaware of the requirement to notify police of his return within three days. Williams said Bear had applied for new bank cards while in Brazil after his NatWest account was blocked. He also lost his passport during the trip and obtained a replacement through the British consulate.

Williams added that Bear returned to the UK in April 2026 following the death of his father. The court was told Bear had complied with other aspects of the register, including regular police notifications, since his original conviction.

Court appearance and next steps

Bear is due to appear at Chelmsford Crown Court on 7 August 2026 for sentencing on a separate charge of breaching a restraining order. This offence is not linked to the sex offenders register breaches heard at Thames Magistrates’ Court. He is next scheduled to appear at Thames Magistrates’ Court on 14 August 2026 for the register breaches.

After leaving the dock at Thames Magistrates’ Court, Bear gave a thumbs-up to the bench, said, “thank-you, have a good day,” and made a praying gesture with his hands. The court did not impose bail conditions, as reported by *This Is Local London*.

Legal consequences

Failure to comply with sex offenders register requirements is an offence under the Sexual Offences Act 2003. The maximum penalty for each breach is five years’ imprisonment. The court will consider the totality of Bear’s actions when determining his sentence for the five admitted breaches.

Bear’s original conviction in 2023 resulted in a prison sentence for voyeurism and disclosing private sexual images. The restraining order breach he faces at Chelmsford Crown Court relates to separate conditions imposed during that case.

What happens next

Chelmsford Crown Court will sentence Bear on 7 August 2026 for the restraining order breach. Thames Magistrates’ Court will then proceed with sentencing for the five sex offenders register breaches on 14 August 2026. Residents can follow proceedings through public court listings or official updates from the Crown Prosecution Service.