‘Cheer’ star Jerry Harris arrested on child porn charge in Ill., faces Fort Worth suit
Jeremiah “Jerry” Harris, a star of the Netflix documentary “Cheer,” was arrested Thursday on a federal child pornography charge after he was accused of enticing an underage boy to produce sexually explicit videos and photos of himself.
Harris, 21, is accused of contacting the teenage boy through social media and repeatedly asking him to take sexually explicit videos and photographs of himself and send them to him, according to a criminal complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Chicago.
The minor victim informed Harris during their initial online encounter that he was 13 years old, the complaint says.
The complaint charges Harris with one count of producing child pornography. Harris was scheduled to make an initial court appearance Thursday before U.S. Magistrate Judge M. David Weisman in Chicago.
Harris, who lives in the Chicago suburb of Naperville, Illinois, was also named in a lawsuit filed Monday that accused him of sexually harassing boys in Fort Worth at a cheerleading competition.
The lawsuit accuses Harris of asking two 13-year-old boys to send sexually explicit pictures of themselves and asking one of them for oral sex while at the Fort Worth Convention Center in February 2019. The lawsuit was filed in Tarrant County district court.
The 13-year-old twin boys went through a grooming process initiated by Harris that lasted approximately two years, said Morgan Stewart, an attorney representing the family. Stewart says he has heard, but has not confirmed, that other children have come forward about having questionable encounters with Harris.
“We believe it was the mother’s complaint that led to Harris’ arrest,” Stewart told the Star-Telegram. “Their mother learned about the activity after going through one of her son’s social media. I don’t want to speak directly for the family, but feel confident in saying that the family wants to see Harris in prison.”
A spokesperson for Harris told ABC News and Variety in a statement after the suit was filed, “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.”
The lawsuit says the cheer companies sponsoring the event, Varsity Spirit LLC and United States All Star Federation, were negligent in supervising the boys and knew that Harris had a “disposition” to engage in sexual misconduct with minors, but still allowed him to be a coach and mentor to underage children. The suit asks for a trial by jury and $1 million in damages.
In 2018, Harris met the boys and befriended them at a national competition and began “grooming” them, the lawsuit says. The boys, who were “star struck” by Harris, gave him their numbers and social media information. Harris started to ask the boys for sexually explicit photos and about their sexual experiences, the lawsuit alleges.
Harris manipulated the boys into sending explicit photos by telling them he would boost their social media presence by commenting on their posts, but only if they sent him explicit photos, the lawsuit alleges, adding that he would also send explicit photos and videos of himself to the boys.
While at a cheer competition, in May 2019, Harris texted one of the boys: “Hey btw I found a place for us to do stuff it’s actually pretty good,” according to the suit. On another occasion, Harris texted, “Would you ever want to ****,” the suit alleges.
At the Fort Worth cheer competition, Harris allegedly told one of the boys to follow him to a secluded bathroom and pleaded and demanded that the boy perform oral sex on him. The boy continued to say no, and was in the bathroom for so long, he got texts from his teammates and brother asking where he was, and he ran out of the bathroom and rejoined his teammates, the lawsuit says.
When the boys were 14, their mother found out about the messages from Harris and that there were other minors he had allegedly sexually harassed, the lawsuit says. The mother reported Harris to USASF, Varsity and Cheer Athletics Inc. in February 2020, but Harris continued to have a “green light” to serve as a coach and mentor to children, the lawsuit says.
The mother made a report with the Fort Worth Police Department on July 10, according to the suit. She also reported the allegations against Harris to the FBI last month.
Production of child pornography is punishable by a minimum sentence of 15 years in prison and a maximum of 30 years. If convicted, the court must impose a reasonable sentence under federal statutes and the advisory U.S. Sentencing Guidelines.
The federal investigation remains ongoing. If you believe that you or someone you know was a victim of sexual exploitation by Jeremiah Harris, you are encouraged to call the FBI Chicago Field Office at (312) 421-6700.
The Netflix show “Cheer” focused on a cheerleading squad at Navarro College — located in Corsicana, Texas, about an hour south of Dallas — as it sought a national title.
“Cheer” was an instant success when it was released in January, and breakout star Harris drew fans for his upbeat attitude and his encouraging “mat talk,” The Associated Press reported. Earlier this year, he interviewed celebrities on the red carpet at the Academy Awards for “The Ellen DeGeneres Show.”
This story includes information from Star-Telegram archives.
This story was originally published September 17, 2020 at 2:16 PM.
