Cheer star Jerry Harris, 21, pleads not guilty to charges of producing child porn and soliciting sex
Jerry Harris, former star of the Netflix docuseries “Cheer,” was sentenced Wednesday to 12 years in federal prison for soliciting sex from minors and pressuring young boys to send him nude photos and videos, according to an attorney for two of the boys Harris abused.
Harris’s conviction marked a stunning fall for the former star who captivated fans when he appeared in “Cheer.”
His arrest in September 2020 sparked a reckoning in the world of competitive cheerleading, prompting others to share their accounts of abuse and pressuring the sport’s governing body to institute reforms.
“Jerry Harris’ guilt has been firmly established,” said Sarah Klein, attorney for a Texas family that was the first to report allegations against Harris to authorities.
“The sentence he received reflects the severity of his crimes and the lifetime of pain his victims will suffer.”
U.S. District Judge Manish Shah also sentenced Harris to eight years of supervised release following his term in prison. The judge delivered the sentence at the end of a nearly seven-hour hearing.
