'Cheer' Star Jerry Harris Arrested On Child Pornography Charge

A few days after being accused of sexual misconduct, the star of the Netflix docuseries “Cheer,” Jerry Harris, has been arrested and charged with producing child pornography, according to the authorities.

Based on the complaint filed in the U.S. District Court in Chicago, Harris is accused of “enticing an underage boy to produce sexually explicit videos and photos of himself,” CNN reported. The complaint also revealed that the boy was only 13 years of age when Harris requested such videos and photos.

Harris has made an appearance in federal court. The prosecutors requested the court to hold Harris without bond as they believe that he is a danger to the community, according to Chicago Tribune.

On the other hand, a lawsuit has also been filed against Harris and three cheer organizations in Texas for alleged sex crimes, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The publication said that the victim in the criminal case is one of the two victims from the civil case.

The attorneys for the twin boys’ mother expressed gratitude toward the U.S. Attorney and the FBI for “arresting and charging” the 21-year-old cheerleader-turned-actor. In a statement obtained by THR, the attorneys applauded the courage shown by the victims’ mother in reporting Harris to the law enforcement authorities.

“We are grateful that the U.S. Attorney and the FBI have taken swift action to protect children by investigating, arresting and charging Jerry Harris. This was made possible because our clients’ mother had the courage to report Harris to the FBI as well as the Fort Worth Police Department and provided evidentiary proof of the manipulation, sexual harassment, abuse and exploitation that her sons had suffered,” THR quoted Morgan Stewart and Sarah Klein of Manly, Stewart & Finaldi, as saying.

Meanwhile, Page Six reported that Harris has admitted to the authorities that he did exchange obscene videos and photos with minors. He also confessed that he used to solicit underage boys for a hookup.

Court documents revealed that Harris acquired sexually explicit photos from “at least between 10-15 individuals he knew were minors.”

Harris became a household name after his participation in the Netflix docuseries. He has also made an appearance on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” earlier this year and even covered the Academy Awards as an official Oscars’ correspondent for the talk show.