‘Cheer’ TV star Jerry Harris sentenced to 12 years in federal prison on sex crimes charges
On July 6, a Chicago judge sentenced former Netflix TV star Jeremiah “Jerry” Harris to 12 years in the federal pen after he pleaded guilty to child sex abuse charges.
Harris was first arrested for charges of child pornography in September 2020, months after the first season of “Cheer” debuted in January of that year. The series, which follows the cheer squad of Navarro College competing in the Daytona national championship, was a critical success, with team member Harris becoming a fan favorite and minor celebrity. Harris’ charges would later be addressed in the show’s second season earlier this year, which featured an episode dedicated to his case, including interviews with his victims. ~ Variety
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Northern District of Illinois, back in 2020, Harris, who was living in Naperville, Illinois, was arrested September 17, 2020, on a federal child pornography charge for enticing an underage boy to produce sexually explicit videos and photos of himself.
Harris, 21-years-old at the time, contacted the underage boy on a social media app and repeatedly enticed him to produce sexually explicit videos and photographs of himself and send them to Harris. The minor victim informed Harris during their initial online encounter that he was 13 years old, according to the criminal complaint.
Also in September 2020, the FBI began looking for other victims who were under the age of 18 and were asked by Harris to produce or view sexually graphic videos or photographs or engage in sexual conduct. Contact may have occurred in person or through the following social media accounts:
- Snapchat username: jerry_714
- Instagram username: __jcoleofficial
- Any other account believed to be used by Jeremiah “Jerry” Harris
According to UPI, Harris ended up being charged with four counts of using, persuading, inducing and enticing a minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing a visible depiction, one count each of interstate travel with intent to engage in a sexual act with a minor, enticing a minor to engage in sexual activity, and receiving and attempting to receive child pornography.
Harris could have been sentenced to a max of 30 years based on his charges.
For more on the former “Cheer” star’s sentencing, see the video accompanying this article.
Posted by Richard Webster, Ace News Today / Follow Richard on Facebook and Twitter
