‘Cheer’ star arrested on child porn charges
Jerry Harris, a prominent figure in the Netflix docuseries “Cheer,” was arrested Thursday on a federal child pornography charge, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Illinois. Harris, a 21-yearold resident of Naperville, Illinois, was accused in a criminal complaint of contacting an underage boy on social media and repeatedly requesting sexually explicit photos and videos.
If found guilty, Harris would face a minimum sentence of 15 years.
The arrest follows a lawsuit filed Monday on behalf of twin boys in Texas who allege he solicited sex, sent over sexually explicit images and requested nude photos. They say the behavior began after they connected with Harris at a competition when they were 13 and he was 19.
The lawsuit, filed in Texas with the District Court of Tarrant County, also lists as defendants the U.S. All Star Federation, a network of cheerleading and dance teams; Varsity Spirit, a company that sells uniforms and hosts competitions; and a Cheer Athletics gym. The suit describes Harris as a “coach, trainer, mentor, representative, and agent” of all three organizations during the time in question.
Harris’s representatives did not respond to The Washington Post, but denied the allegations in a statement shared Monday with Variety: “We categorically dispute the claims made against Jerry Harris, which are alleged to have occurred when he was a teenager,” the spokesperson stated. “We are confident that when the investigation is completed the true facts will be revealed.”