A Chicago judge has seven federal accusations related to sex crimes involving minors in February against Jerry Harris, a cheerleader at Navarro University who became a breakout star in Netflix’s documentary series Cheer. He was sentenced to 12 years in prison on Wednesday for conviction of two of them. ..
Harris, 22, reached a plea bargain in February, and prosecutors traveled to Florida after condemning two charges and persuading a 17-year-old man to monetize a sexually explicit photo. I agreed on the suspicion. The purpose of engaging in tort with a 15-year-old woman “—they will ask to withdraw the remaining fees. He was initially acquitted of all seven accusations in December 2020.
Harris’s plea bargaining said the sentencing guidelines “may recommend 50 years in prison” for crimes, but Judge Mannish S. Shah could decide him in another way. Said there is. Judge Shah also ordered Mr Harris to serve his release under court supervision for eight years after his sentence.
Harris’s lawyer, Todd Pew, did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Wednesday.
In a memo submitted before the hearing, the prosecutor asked Judge Shah to sentence Harris to 15 years in prison, and Harris said, “Competitive cheerleader, social media persona, And in the end, he took advantage of his celebrity status. ” Money to persuade and seduce his young victims to engage in sexually explicit acts for him or with him. “
Harris’s lawyer “understood that he was in the right relationship” because he himself was sexually abused as a child in the world of competitive cheerleaders.
The ruling concludes the case in which Harris was arrested nearly two years ago in September 2020 and charged with producing child pornography. The incident came months after the release of “Cheer,” following the cheerleader team of national champions in a small town. Texas Community College.
Around the same time, he was sued by his teenage twin brothers, sending a sexually explicit message, requesting nude photos, and saying he asked for sex. (Mr. Harris became friends with the boys at the age of 13, and he was 19 years old. USA Today report.. )
In a voluntary interview with authorities in 2020, Harris exchanged sexually explicit photos on Snapchat with at least 10 to 15 people known to be minors, and the 2019 cheerleader. I admitted that I had sex with a 15-year-old at the tournament. According to the criminal accusation.
A federal agent has filed an additional felony against Mr. Harris after interviewing another minor who said he had something to do with him. The allegations that Harris did not plead guilty as part of the agreement included four child sexual exploitations and one temptation. Five underage boys are involved in the seven accusations.
Harris has been detained at the Metropolitan Correction Center in Chicago since he was arrested.
