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On July 6, Jerry Harris, a former cheerleader and star of the hit Netflix series Cheer, was sentenced to 12 years in prison for child-related s*x crimes. Harris, a 22-year-old from Naperville, Illinois, was first arrested in September 2020 on charges ranging from child abuse to soliciting inappropriate photos or videos from minors.
According to prosecutors, Harris would use his superstar status to convince minors to do his bidding. Allegedly, he would also threaten to release inappropriate photos he had convinced them to send him.
Prosecutors said:
"(He used) his status as a competitive cheerleader, his social media persona, and eventually his celebrity and money"
They added:
"(Otherwise he) threatened to disseminate the videos they had sent if they refused to continue."
According to NBC, Harris allegedly confessed to having received inappropriate pictures from at least 10-15 minors.
Jerry Harris admitted he has a long history of child abuse
Known for his bubbly personality, Jerry Harris quickly emerged as a fan favorite in the Netflix docuseries that brought him to prominence. He was so popular that before his arrest, Ellen DeGeneres wanted him to serve as the Oscars' correspondent for her show.
However, according to prosecutors, Jerry Harris harbored a darker side. According to Fox, after his 2020 arrest, he allegedly admitted to FBI agents that he had a long history of child abuse.
Sarah Klein, an attorney for a family that made a report against Harris, said there was no question that he had committed crimes against children.
Klein said:
“Jerry Harris’ guilt has been firmly established. The sentence he received reflects the severity of his crimes and the lifetime of pain his victims will suffer."
Sportskeeda reported that the accusations included those by twin brothers Charlie and Sam, who filed a lawsuit against Harris, alleging that he had sent them inappropriate text messages and photos when they were 13 years old.
During the trial, the boys presented a victim statement describing Harris' alleged actions' effect on their lives.
The statement read:
“I had to quit cheering at my old gym because people there disagreed with me and my family because of deciding to speak out."
It continued:
"The only true community I had at that time I felt like I had was taken away from me for doing the right thing."
According to People News, after his 12-year sentence, Harris must complete 8 years of a court-supervised release. In season 2, the Netflix series Cheer acknowledged the allegations against him.
