Embed from Getty Images
CBS Chicago reported that former “Cheer” star Jerry Harris was sentenced to 12 years in federal prison on Wednesday for his involvement in sexual misconduct with juveniles. A judge ordered eight years of supervised release will also be imposed on him.
Harris, who allegedly bribed a juvenile with money to send him sexually graphic photos, entered a guilty plea in February on a charge of child pornography. Our sources say that he also pled guilty to a charge of traveling for unlawful sex with minors, coming from a trip he took to Florida to ” engage in illicit sexual behavior” with a 15-year-old.
In exchange for Harris’s guilty plea, federal prosecutors dropped five other charges.
At his sentencing hearing, Harris apologized to his victims, saying his acts were “wrong and selfish,” according to a statement provided by his counsel.
“I do not deserve forgiveness, but I do pray that one day you might find it in your hearts,” Harris added.
Since his arrest in September 2020, the 22-year-old has been imprisoned in a federal detention center without bond.
Born Jeremiah Harris, he rose to celebrity when he and his colleagues were featured in the Emmy-winning docuseries “Cheer,” which follows the lives of the Navarro cheer squad. Harris even attended the Academy Awards in 2020 as a personality for “The Ellen DeGeneres Show.”
However, following a lengthy FBI investigation, he was arrested in September 2020 and charged with one count of manufacturing child pornography.
According to the federal complaint, in 2018, Harris allegedly contacted a juvenile and asked for “facial” and “booty” images despite the fact that the youngster had already disclosed to Harris that he was only 13 years old. As part of his complaint, the child stated that he had sent Harris numerous photographs over the course of a year. In addition, the child informed authorities that Harris tried to recruit him for oral sex in a washroom during a cheerleading competition. Harris is accused of making a similar request in a third-party competition three months after the minor initially declined. In February 2020, one month after the alleged incident, Harris allegedly blocked the youngster on Snapchat “Since “Cheers” had just been added to Netflix, she contacted him to say, “I apologize for my prior actions. We shouldn’t be Snapchat pals, in my opinion.”
Another juvenile, the twin of the first, has also accused Harris of asking for naked pictures of himself.
According to the complaint, Harris admitted to several claims, including receiving child pornography from 10 to 15 additional youngsters he knew were underage, asking for nude images, and attempting to solicit oral sex at cheerleading competitions.
Harris was accused on seven additional counts in December 2020 for allegedly engaging in sexual solicitation of children at cheerleading contests and encouraging young males to send him images and videos of themselves engaging in sexual activity.
The two juveniles named in the initial federal lawsuit were revealed to be cheerleading twins Charlie and Sam in the most recent season of “Cheer.” Both brothers said they were hesitant to speak out against Harris because of his rising popularity, but Charlie said he “lost it” when he saw him talking with presidential candidate Joe Biden in a June 2020 interview.
“I want to show the world, give people a face to, when they think of Jerry Harris, what he did,” Charlie explained.
“This was not just a handful of times that this happened,” Kristen, Charlie and Sam’s mother, told CBS Chicago. “He was an incredibly persistent predator that forced himself into the center of my sons’ lives for over a year.”
Harris’ sentence “reflects the severity of his crimes and the lifetime of pain his victims will suffer.” said victim’s attorney Sarah Klein.
In telling their stories to prosecutors and the public, “Charlie and Sam displayed enormous courage,” Klein said. They are making a sacrifice for kids they’ve never even met.
Harris could have received up to fifty years in jail if convicted. Our sources say that Harris’ attorneys requested a sentence of six years, while prosecutors asked for a fifteen-year sentence.
What’s Your Take On This Obvious Pork Moment?
Like, Share, Comment, Tweet it Out!