‘Cheer’ Star Jerry Harris Sentenced To 12 Years In Child Pornography Case
Harris, 22, was indicted on seven counts of receiving and attempting to receive images of child sexual abuse and persuading minors to engage in sexual contact.
Jerry Harris, a star of the television show “Cheer,” was given a 12-year prison term on Wednesday for soliciting sex from children and coercing young boys to send him pornographic images and videos.
In February, Harris entered a plea to two charges that included sexually assaulting a 15-year-old in the restroom during a cheerleading competition and bribing a 17-year-old to send him sexually explicit Snapchat messages.
In addition, Harris also admitted to similar conduct involving other minors, but those charges were dismissed as part of the plea agreement, USA Today reported.
In a sentencing memo, prosecutors argued that Harris exploited “his standing as a competitive cheerleader, his social media persona, and eventually his popularity and money” to influence young boys to submit sexually explicit information and that he should receive a 15-year term.
Prosecutors claimed that Harris, who marketed himself as a “mentor who could be trusted,” would put pressure on his victims and offer to pay them in exchange for favors and sexual activity. The sentencing memorandum states that after that failed, he “threatened to publicize the videos they had sent if they refused to continue.”
Harris’s actions continued, according to the prosecution, up to his arrest in September 2020.
Attorneys for Harris argued that their client experienced sexual assault as a child and therefore had a “skewed version of what he understood to be appropriate relationships,” court documents stated. They asked for six years in prison.
Harris apologized to his victims in court. “I am sorry for all the trauma my abuse has caused you. I pray that your suffering comes to an end,” Harris said, according to his attorneys.
The two victims are identical twin brothers. According to a complaint, one of the guys informed police that Harris asked him for oral sex in a restroom while they were both at a cheerleading competition. Additionally, the complaint claimed that Harris messaged the youngster on Instagram in 2018 when Harris was 19 and the boy was 13.
According to the lawsuit, one of the boys claimed that he chatted with Harris on FaceTime, where Harris requested him to expose himself, and that he gave Harris nude photographs on Snapchat at Harris’ request.
One brother told investigators that Harris was “touchy” and did “odd things” to him and his sibling, according to the complaint. He said Harris would ask for nude pictures from him and when the boy refused, Harris would become “pushy,” the complaint said.
The brothers shared their story in the second season of “Cheer,” saying that they were initially fearful about speaking up because of Harris’ celebrity and how it would affect their status in the cheer community.