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Former middle school teacher to be placed on sex offender registry after recording students changing

PRE News & Ideas | By Annette Weston
Published November 21, 2025 at 9:06 AM EST
Onslow County Sheriff's Office

A former teacher who recorded students changing clothes in his classroom will have to register as a sex offender.

Stephen Bera was a language arts teacher at New Bridge Middle School in Jacksonville in May of 2022, when police found a hidden camera in his classroom that captured images of students changing for a musical performance.

Bera pled guilty in September to 18 counts of felony secret peeping.

He was given a suspended sentence with 2-1/2 years of supervised probation, and ordered to register as a sex offender for the next 30 years.
Annette Weston
Annette is originally a Midwest gal, born and raised in Michigan, but with career stops in many surrounding states, the Pacific Northwest, and various parts of the southeast. An award-winning journalist and mother of four, Annette moved to eastern North Carolina in 2019 to be closer to family – in particular, her two young grandchildren. It’s possible that a -27 day with a -68 windchill in Minnesota may have also played a role in that decision. In her spare time, Annette does a lot of kiddo cuddling, reading, and producing the coolest Halloween costumes anyone has ever seen. She has also worked as a diversity and inclusion facilitator serving school districts and large corporations. It’s the people that make this beautiful area special, and she wants to share those stories that touch the hearts of others. If you have a story idea to share, please reach out by email to westona@cravencc.edu.
See stories by Annette Weston