BLACK: 'Cheer' star Jerry Harris sentenced to 12 years in federal prison for sex crimes, against White boys

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'Cheer' star Jerry Harris sentenced to 12 years in federal prison for sex crimes​

Marisa Kwiatkowski Tricia L. Nadolny
USA TODAY
Jerry Harris, former star of the Netflix docuseries "Cheer," was sentenced Wednesday to 12 years in federal prison for soliciting sex from minors and pressuring young boys to send him nude photos and videos.

The 22-year-old pleaded guilty in February to two charges for sexually assaulting a 15-year-old in the bathroom during a cheer competition and paying a 17-year-old to send him sexually explicit photos and videos via Snapchat, court records show. Harris also admitted to similar conduct involving other minors, though prosecutors agreed to dismiss those charges as part of the plea agreement.

Harris' conviction marked a stunning fall for the former star who captivated fans when he appeared in "Cheer." His arrest in September 2020 sparked a reckoning in the world of competitive cheerleading, prompting others to share their own accounts of abuse and pressuring the sport's governing body to institute reforms.

"Jerry Harris' guilt has been firmly established," said Sarah Klein, attorney for a Texas family that was the first to report allegations against Harris to authorities. "The sentence he received reflects the severity of his crimes and the lifetime of pain his victims will suffer."

After a nearly seven-hour hearing, U.S. District Judge Manish Shah also sentenced Harris to eight years of supervised release following his term in prison. The judge told Harris the sentence was an "expression of the seriousness of your crimes, tempered with some hope that all is not lost for you or for your victims, and that in the future some healing can occur."

In court Wednesday, Harris apologized to his victims and said he is "not an evil person."

"I am deeply sorry for all the trauma my abuse has caused you," he said. "I pray deep down that your suffering comes to an end."

Harris' attorneys had argued for a six-year prison term. In court documents, they cited Harris' difficult childhood and said he had a "warped" view of relationships because he himself was sexually assaulted at age 13 by a 19-year-old from his cheer gym. The lawyers, who could not be reached Wednesday for comment, submitted character reference letters and videos from more than 80 people, including Navarro College cheerleading coach Monica Aldama, other “Cheer” castmates and members of the broader cheerleading community.

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