Jerry Harris (cheerleader)

Jeremiah Harris (born July 14, 1999) is an American former cheerleader and convicted sex offender who received national recognition after appearing in the 2020 Netflix docuseries Cheer.[1] In September and December 2020, he was charged by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) with production of child pornography and other child-related sex crimes: "sexual exploitation of children, receiving child pornography, traveling with the attempt to engage in sexual conduct with a minor, enticement and other charges.[2] On February 10, 2022, Harris pled guilty as charged to two of the seven indictments against him.[3] On July 6, 2022, Harris was sentenced to 12 years in prison, and 8 years of court supervised probation to commence after his release from prison.[4]

Jerry Harris
Born
Jeremiah Harris

(1999-07-14) July 14, 1999
Hinsdale, Illinois, U.S.
Alma materNavarro College
Years active2020–2022
Criminal chargesEnticing a child, producing child pornography (2022)
Criminal penalty12 years imprisonment
Criminal statusIncarcerated

Early life and education

Harris was born in Hinsdale, Illinois and raised in Bolingbrook, Illinois.[5] When he was 16 years old, his mother died from lung cancer.[6][7] He attended Waubonsie Valley High School[8] followed by Navarro College in Corsicana, Texas, where he was a member of the cheerleader team coached by Monica Aldama.[9] During the season one finale of Cheer, he received a Regional Scholars Award from the University of Louisville. He attended the school for the fall semester, but ultimately returned to Navarro College.[10][11] He became famous for his eccentric personality.[12]

Career

In January 2020, he appeared on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, along with other members of the Cheer team.[13][14][15] In February 2020, DeGeneres announced that Harris would be The Ellen DeGeneres Show's Oscars correspondent.[16][17][18][19] He is known for his eccentric and over-the-top "mat talk," a cheerleading term, in which he yells and cheers on other people.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, he made a guest appearance on the cheerleading themed song "Mas(k)ot" by Todrick Hall from his album Quarantine Queen.[20]

2020 arrest

In September 2020, the FBI announced they had a warrant for Harris for allegedly soliciting sex from minors.[21] The case involves twin brothers who were 13 when Harris, 19 at the time, sent suggestive messages asking for pictures and seeking sex.[21] The boys' mother at first dismissed the contacts, but after another cheerleading coach allegedly assaulted them, felt there might be a pervasive atmosphere of tolerance of sexual abuse either in the sport or the companies that govern them.[21] United States All Star Federation, Varsity Spirit and Cheer Athletics were later named as parties to the legal proceedings.[22]

On September 17, 2020, Harris was arrested by the FBI and charged in federal court in Chicago for production of child pornography.[22] Harris allegedly admitted to soliciting and receiving explicit messages on Snapchat from other individuals he knew were minors; he also allegedly admitted to having sex with a 15-year-old in mid-2019 when Harris was 19, according to federal court records.[23] Harris was suspended from at least one company, and faced the loss of several sponsorships.[21] A spokesperson for Harris denied the allegations, "We categorically dispute the claims made against Jerry Harris, which are alleged to have occurred when he was a teenager. We are confident that when the investigation is completed the true facts will be revealed."[24] Harris's cheer coach Monica Aldama posted on Instagram that she was devastated by the news of his arrest.[25]

In a statement about his arrest, Netflix said "Like everyone we are shocked by this news. Any abuse of minors is a terrible crime and we respect the legal process."[26]

On December 12, 2020, it was reported that Harris faced an additional seven charges involving incidents with four other minors from August 2017 to August 2020, including a charge involving an alleged incident where Harris traveled from Texas to Florida to have sex with a 15-year-old in May 2019.[27][28] Harris pleaded not guilty to the new charges.[29]

On February 10, 2022, Harris pleaded guilty to allegations of child sex abuse.[30] He was obtaining photos of child sexual abuse and soliciting sex from minors. Harris was held without bond in a federal detention center and was set to be sentenced on June 28, 2022. Harris was instead sentenced on July 6, 2022, to 12 years in prison, followed by eight years of court-supervised probation.[31]

References
  1. Jacobs, Julia (February 10, 2022). "Jerry Harris Pleads Guilty to Sex Crimes Involving Minors". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved March 28, 2022.
  2. Kranc, Lauren (February 11, 2022). "Here's Where the Case Against Jerry Harris from 'Cheer' Stands Now". Esquire. Retrieved March 28, 2022.
  3. Shafer, Ellise (February 10, 2022). "'Cheer' Star Jerry Harris Pleads Guilty in Child Pornography Case". Variety. Retrieved March 29, 2022.
  4. Sonia Moghe and Raja Razek (July 6, 2022). "'Cheer' star Jerry Harris sentenced to 12 years in prison in child pornography case". CNN. Retrieved July 7, 2022.
  5. Swartz, Jason Meisner, Tracy (September 17, 2020). "Jerry Harris, star of Netflix show 'Cheer,' charged with producing child pornography after raid on Naperville home". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on January 14, 2022. Retrieved September 17, 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  6. Bergamotto, Lori (January 25, 2020). "The Cast of Netflix's 'Cheer' Is Just as Inspiring on Instagram as They Are on the Show". Good Housekeeping. Archived from the original on January 14, 2022. Retrieved January 27, 2020.
  7. "Here's What Fan-Favorite & Precious Human Jerry Is Doing After 'Cheer'". Elite Daily. January 17, 2020. Archived from the original on January 14, 2022. Retrieved January 27, 2020.
  8. "Jerry Harris, star of Netflix show 'Cheer,' appears in federal court in Chicago on charges of producing child pornography". Chicago Tribune. September 17, 2020. Archived from the original on January 14, 2022. Retrieved September 17, 2020.
  9. "Opinion | I cried watching a Netflix docuseries about cheerleading — and I'm not alone". NBC News. January 20, 2020. Archived from the original on January 14, 2022. Retrieved January 27, 2020.
  10. "'Cheer' Favorite Lexi Brumback Is Back on the Squad and More Updates". Entertainment Tonight. Archived from the original on January 14, 2022. Retrieved January 27, 2020.
  11. "Netflix Cheer: This is what all the Navarro cheerleaders are up to now". UK. January 13, 2020. Archived from the original on January 14, 2022. Retrieved January 27, 2020.
  12. "Here's What Fan-Favorite & Precious Human Jerry Is Doing After 'Cheer'". Elite Daily. January 17, 2020. Archived from the original on January 14, 2022. Retrieved January 27, 2020."What the Stars of Netflix's Cheer Are Up to Today". E!. January 21, 2020. Archived from the original on January 14, 2022. Retrieved January 27, 2020."You Can Still Donate To Jerry's GoFundMe After Watching 'Cheer'". Bustle. Archived from the original on January 14, 2022. Retrieved January 27, 2020."Netflix's 'Cheer' Breakout Star Jerry Harris GoFundMe Flooded With Donations From Fans". Yahoo! Finance. January 16, 2020. Archived from the original on January 14, 2022. Retrieved January 27, 2020.l"Cheer-fluencers: Where are the stars of the hit Netflix show now?". Evening Standard. January 23, 2020. Archived from the original on January 14, 2022. Retrieved January 27, 2020."'Cheer': Favorites Lexi Brumback and Jerry Harris Return to Navarro and More Squad Updates". KTVB. January 16, 2020. Archived from the original on January 14, 2022. Retrieved January 27, 2020.Weiss, Suzy (January 17, 2020). "The characters we're rooting for on Netflix's 'Cheer'". New York Post. Archived from the original on January 14, 2022. Retrieved January 27, 2020.Bonner, Mehera (January 23, 2020). "Freakishly Obsessed With 'Cheer'? Same! Here's Where the Cast Is RN". Cosmopolitan easo. Archived from the original on January 14, 2022. Retrieved January 27, 2020.
  13. "Watch the 'Cheer' Squad Perform Their Winning Routine on 'Ellen'". Decider. January 23, 2020. Archived from the original on January 14, 2022. Retrieved January 27, 2020.
  14. Hays, Julie (January 25, 2020). "Area cheer squad appears on 'Ellen,' leaves with $20,000 check". KWTX. Archived from the original on January 14, 2022. Retrieved January 27, 2020.
  15. The 'Cheer' Cast Gives Ellen 'Mat Talk', archived from the original on January 14, 2022, retrieved January 27, 2020
  16. "Cheer's Jerry Harris Is Going to the 2020 Oscars". E!. February 8, 2020. Archived from the original on January 14, 2022. Retrieved February 9, 2020.
  17. Murphy, Helen (February 8, 2020). "Jerry from Netflix's Cheer Is Going to the Oscars! See His Reaction to Mat-Talking the Stars". People. Archived from the original on January 14, 2022. Retrieved July 7, 2022.
  18. "Jerry From 'Cheer' Will Mat Talk Stars At The Oscars For The 'Ellen DeGeneres Show'". Bustle. February 8, 2020. Archived from the original on January 14, 2022. Retrieved February 9, 2020.
  19. Cubit, Brea (February 8, 2020). "Jerry Harris From Netflix's Cheer Is Going to the Oscars, and His Reaction Is Priceless". POPSUGAR Celebrity. Retrieved February 9, 2020.
  20. Daw, Stephen (April 27, 2020). "Surprise! Todrick Hall Is Releasing a Coronavirus-Themed Album This Week". Billboard. Archived from the original on January 14, 2022. Retrieved April 29, 2020.
  21. Kwiatkowski, Maria; Nadolny, Tricia L. (September 14, 2020). "Jerry Harris from Cheer under FBI Investigation for Allegedly Soliciting Sex from Minors". USA Today. Archived from the original on January 14, 2022. Retrieved September 14, 2020.
  22. Bahr, Sarah (September 17, 2020). "Jerry Harris of 'Cheer' Arrested on Child Pornography Charge". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on January 14, 2022. Retrieved September 17, 2020.
  23. Madani, Doha (September 17, 2020). "Jerry Harris of Netflix's 'Cheer' arrested on a child pornography charge". NBC News. Archived from the original on January 14, 2022. Retrieved September 17, 2020.
  24. Coleman, Justine (September 17, 2020). "'Cheer' star Jerry Harris arrested on child pornography charge". The Hill. Archived from the original on January 14, 2022. Retrieved September 17, 2020.
  25. Jensen, Erin; Nadolny, Tricia L.; Kwiatkowski, Marisa; Connolly, Daniel. "Jerry Harris' 'Cheer' coach Monica Aldama is 'devastated' following his arrest for child porn". USA Today. Archived from the original on January 14, 2022. Retrieved September 18, 2020.
  26. Gonzalez, Sandra; Parks, Brad (September 17, 2020). "'Cheer' star Jerry Harris arrested on charge of production of child pornography". CNN. Archived from the original on January 14, 2022. Retrieved September 18, 2020.
  27. Jimenez, Omar; Waldrop, Theresa (December 11, 2020). "Star of Netflix series 'Cheer' indicted on new child pornography and sex charges". CNN. Archived from the original on January 14, 2022. Retrieved December 13, 2020.
  28. Burke, Minyvonne; Dasrath, Diana (December 12, 2020). "Jerry Harris, star of Netflix's 'Cheer,' faces new charges in child pornography case". NBC News. Archived from the original on January 14, 2022. Retrieved December 13, 2020.
  29. Nugent, Annabel (December 18, 2020). "Cheer star Jerry Harris pleads not guilty to child sex charges". The Independent. Archived from the original on January 14, 2022. Retrieved December 18, 2020.
  30. "Jerry Harris: Star of Netflix's Cheer admits child sex crimes". BBC News. February 10, 2022.
  31. "Ex-Cheer star Jerry Harris pleads guilty to child sexual abuse image charges". The Guardian. Associated Press. February 11, 2022. p. 1. Retrieved February 11, 2022.
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