Netflix's 'Cheer' Star Jerry Harris Sentenced To Prison Time After Pleading Guilty To Disturbing Charges
July 6 2022, Published 7:11 p.m. ET
Cheer star Jerry Harris has been sentenced to 12 years in prison after pleading guilty in his child pornography case, RadarOnline.com has learned.
The 22-year-old accepted federal charges related to soliciting child sexual abuse imagery and illegal sexual conduct with a minor in February, having then changed his initial plea.
He was accused of persuading a 17-year-old to send him sexually explicit photos and traveling to Florida "for the purpose of engaging in illicit sexual conduct" with a 15-year-old." The remaining five charges against Harris were dropped under a plea agreement.
Harris was facing up to 50 years behind bars for the crimes, RadarOnline.com can confirm, although prosecutors later asked for a 15-year prison sentence.
"Harris used his celebrity and wealth to continue his exploitation of children, expanding the tools available to him to manipulate them into gratifying his seemingly insatiable sexual desires," Assistant U.S. Attorney Kelly Guzman wrote in a sentencing memorandum.
Harris was under investigation by the FBI dating back to 2019. It wasn't until the following year he was arrested in September, and it was later addressed on the Netflix docuseries.
Just before his legal troubles took over, his star was on the rise with Harris securing sponsorships with Starburst, Cheerios, and Walmart. During the second season, one of Harris' former teammates reacted to his arrest and said, "Everyone just felt lost."
Harris' attorneys argued for a six-year sentence, citing Harris' difficult childhood and claiming he was sexually assaulted in his youth.
Harris' sentencing comes weeks after 19 Kids and Counting star Josh Duggar faced his own prison fate. The disgraced TV personality was also given 12 years behind bars after being found guilty of downloading and possessing "the worst of the worst" in child porn.
Duggar was arrested in April 2021 after detectives found files containing child porn being shared to a computer that was ultimately traced back to the former car salesman.
"[Duggar's behavior] provides an alarming window into the extent of his sexual interest in children that the court should consider," the sentencing memorandum read.
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