Stephen Bear Jailed for Breaching Georgia Harrison Restraining Order

Georgia Harrison has praised Essex Police for taking her concerns seriously after Stephen Bear was jailed for 16 months for breaching a restraining order imposed to protect her.

Bear, 36, was sentenced after repeatedly posting about Ms Harrison on social media despite being prohibited from doing so by a court order.

The Crown Prosecution Service said the breaches took place between March and July 2025 and involved posts on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, X and YouTube.

Bear admitted breaching the restraining order at Snaresbrook Crown Court on 8 June. He was sentenced to 16 months in prison at Chelmsford Crown Court on 6 August.

As part of the sentence, a new restraining order was also imposed which prevents Bear from seeking to contact Ms Harrison indefinitely.

Harrison praises Essex Police response

Following the sentencing, Ms Harrison thanked Essex Police for its handling of the case.

She said: “Essex Police took me seriously when so many women in my position are overlooked.

“They treated this as the serious crime it is - not a celebrity story. It is a real offence against a real person.

“They built the case properly, they stayed with it, and when the order was breached, they acted instead of shrugging.”

Ms Harrison added that, from messages she receives from other women, she believes such a response remains too uncommon.

She said: “If every force treated this the way Essex Police did, thousands of women would feel safer today.”

Restraining order imposed in 2023

The original five-year restraining order was imposed in 2023 after Bear was convicted of voyeurism and disclosing private sexual photographs and films of Ms Harrison with intent to cause distress.

He was sentenced to 21 months in prison for those offences.

The restraining order prohibited Bear from contacting Ms Harrison directly or indirectly, attending an address where she was known to be living, and posting or commenting about her on social media or encouraging others to do so.

According to the Crown Prosecution Service, Bear subsequently made repeated social media posts about Ms Harrison despite those restrictions.

The CPS said the posts included degrading comments about Ms Harrison and encouraged other people to comment about her.

Police: behaviour should not be normalised

Detective Constable Swarv Stafin, who led the Essex Police investigation, said Bear's behaviour should neither be normalised nor accepted.

The officer said harassment can cause significant stress and anxiety and praised Ms Harrison for continuing to report the breaches.

Senior Crown Prosecutor Andrew Young said restraining orders are imposed by courts to protect victims and stressed that breaching one is a criminal offence.

He said Bear had been expressly prohibited from posting about Ms Harrison but continued to use his social media platforms to target her.

Bear is now serving the 16-month prison sentence imposed for breaching the restraining order.