Cheer's Jerry Harris arrested on child pornography charge
Jerry Harris, one of the subjects of Netflix's hit cheerleading documentary series Cheer, has been arrested on a federal child pornography charge.
The U.S. Attorney's Office on Thursday said that 21-year-old Harris was arrested for "allegedly enticing an underage boy to produce sexually explicit videos and photos of himself," and he is charged with one count of producing child pornography. Harris allegedly contacted an underage boy through social media, who told him he was 13 years old, and "repeatedly enticed him" to produce and send him sexually explicit videos and photos, prosecutors said.
USA Today reported earlier this week that Harris was under investigation by the FBI, also reporting that Varsity Brands, a private company that conducts business in the cheerleading industry, had made police aware of "inappropriate sexual conduct" allegations against Harris. The investigation, USA Today writes, is "based on allegations brought by 14-year-old twin brothers," who "described a pattern of harassment, both online and at cheer competitions, that started when they were 13 and Harris was 19" and "continued for more than a year." An attorney representing the alleged victims filed a lawsuit against Harris earlier this week, CNN reports.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
A spokesperson for Harris said "we categorically dispute the claims made against Jerry Harris, which are alleged to have occurred when he was a teenager," adding that "we are confident that when the investigation is completed the true facts will be revealed." But Harris reportedly "admitted to investigators that he had asked the underage boy for sexually explicit photos through Snapchat," according to BuzzFeed News.
Prosecutors said Harris' initial court appearance is scheduled for Thursday afternoon.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.
-
Is pop music now too reliant on gossip?
Talking Point Taylor Swift's new album has prompted a flurry of speculation over who she is referring to in her songs
By Richard Windsor, The Week UK Published
-
Nuclear near-misses
The Explainer From technical glitches to fateful split-second decisions, the world has come to the brink of nuclear war more times than you might think
By Rebecca Messina, The Week UK Published
-
What is cloud seeding and did it cause Dubai's severe rainfall?
The Explainer The future is flooded
By Devika Rao, The Week US Published
-
Trump criminal trial starts with rulings, reminder
Speed Read The first day of his historic trial over hush money payments was mostly focused on jury selection
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Parents of school shooter sentenced to 10-15 years
Speed Read Jennifer and James Crumbley are the first parents to be convicted in a US mass shooting
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Unlicensed dealers and black market guns
Speed Read 68,000 illegally trafficked guns were sold in a five year period, said ATF
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Bankman-Fried gets 25 years for fraud
Speed Read Former "crypto king" Sam Bankman-Fried will report to federal prison
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Feds raid Diddy homes in alleged sex trafficking case
Speed Read Homeland Security raided the properties of hip hop mogul Sean "Diddy" Combs
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
'Goon Squad' cops sentenced for torturing 2 Black men
Speed Read The former Mississippi law enforcement officers pleaded guilty last year
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Michigan shooter's dad guilty of manslaughter
speed read James Crumbley failed to prevent his son from killing four students at Oxford High School in 2021
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Shooting at Chiefs victory rally kills 1, injures 21
Speed Read Gunfire broke out at the Kansas City Chiefs' Super Bowl victory parade in Missouri
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published