Star of the popular Netflix series ‘cheer’ has pleaded guilty Thursday in a Jerry Harris, in a federal child pornography case.
According to NBC:
Harris, 22, was indicted in December 2020 on numerous charges alleging he received and attempted to receive child pornography and persuaded minors to engage in sexual contact.
Prosecutors said the alleged acts involved victims in Florida, Illinois and Texas from August 2017 to August 2020.
Harris’ change of plea hearing took place Thursday afternoon before U.S. District Judge Manish Shah.
He pleaded guilty to two of the counts in the indictment, receiving child pornography and engaging in interstate travel for the purpose of engaging in a sexual act with a minor, according to attorneys representing two of the victims.
The victims are twin brothers.
“We are grateful that the U.S. Attorney and the FBI investigated this case, located additional victims and took action. Now, Jerry Harris’ guilt has been firmly established,” said attorney Sarah Klein.
The brothers’ mother said Harris’ pleading guilty gives her “hope that the pain and grief that my sons have suffered as a result of speaking up has not been in vain.”
In an effort to put a stop to a serial predator and avert harm to other children, my sons took the brave step of speaking publicly about the sexual abuse they suffered at the hands of Jerry Harris,” the boys’ mother said in a statement.
“I will continue my mission to hold Jerry Harris and his enablers fully accountable both in the courts of law and the court of public opinion.”
Harris was arrested in September 2020 after he was accused of soliciting child pornography images and videos from the two 14-year-old boys on multiple occasions, according to a complaint filed that month.
One of the boys told police that Harris solicited oral sex from him in a bathroom during a cheerleading event they both attended. The complaint alleges that Harris contacted one of the boys on Instagram in 2018, when he was 19 and the boys were 13.
One of the boys said he sent nude pictures to Harris on Snapchat at Harris’ request and began communicating with him on FaceTime, where Harris asked the boy to expose himself. Harris also sent the boy nude pictures and videos, according to the complaint.
The second boy told investigators that Harris was “touchy” and did “odd things” to him and his brother, the complaint alleges.
He said Harris would request nude pictures from him and that when the boy refused, Harris would become “pushy” and make him feel guilty, according to the complaint.
Forensic investigations into the boys’ phones showed text messages and Snapchat communications between them and Harris, the complaint says.
Harris is alleged to have admitted to investigators during a voluntary interview to having sent and received nude images and to having texted the boys.
His sentencing is scheduled for June and he is facing up to 30 years in prison.
