Jerry Harris, who starred in the hit docuseries Cheer, has pleaded guilty to receiving child sexual abuse images and soliciting sex from minors.
Harris pleaded guilty to one count of traveling with the intent to engage in unlawful sexual conduct, and one count of receiving child sexual abuse images, at a hearing held in Chicago on Thursday (February 10).
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The first count concerns a trip to Florida that he admitted was aimed at engaging in “illicit sexual conduct” with a 15-year-old girl, and the second concerns pressuring a 17-year-old girl to send him images. sex for money.
The child abuse image charge against Harris carries a minimum sentence of five years and a maximum of 20, while the charge of illicit sexual conduct carries a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison.
Jerry Harris’ 14-Year-Old Twin Accusers Bravely Spoke Out on Cheer’s Second Series
In September 2020, after the first Emmy-winning series of Cheer premiered on Netflix, Harris was arrested by the FBI on charges related to allegedly pressuring twin 14-year-old girls to send him photos and videos. explicit.
In December of that year, he was also charged with four counts of sexual exploitation of minors, one count of “receiving child pornography,” one count of enticement, and one count of traveling with the intent to have unlawful sexual contact with a minor. .
At the time, Harris admitted to FBI agents that he had requested images via Snapchat of at least 10 to 15 young boys, according to the indictment.
An episode exploring the aftermath of Harris’s arrest was included in the second series of Cheer. Two of his accusers, the twin boys, shared his story on the show.
According to the BBC, the twins’ mother said in a statement reacting to Harris’ guilty pleas: “In an effort to end a serial predator and prevent harm to other children, my children took the brave step of speak publicly about the sexual abuse they suffered at the hands of Jerry Harris.
“Harris’s guilty plea today gives me hope that the pain and grief my children have suffered for speaking out has not been in vain.”
The boys’ attorney, Sarah Klein, added: “We are grateful that the US Attorney and the FBI have investigated this case, located more victims and taken action. Now, Jerry Harris’s guilt has been settled.” firmly established”.
Harris remains in jail and will be sentenced on June 28, 2022.
An attorney representing Harris’s victims has also called for an investigation into the conduct of the United States All Star Federation, Varsity Spirit and Cheer Athletics to determine if staff “could have stopped Harris’s abuses and didn’t.”
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