Former “Cheer” star Jerry Harris, who gained notoriety on the Netflix reality show, was sentenced to 12 years in prison for coercing teenage boys to send him sexual photos and videos of themselves and soliciting sex from minors.
District Judge Manish Shah handed down the sentencing, which included giving Harris, 22, eight years of court-supervised release following the prison sentence. Shah told him that the punishment 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,” per The Hollywood Reporter.
Harris pleaded guilty earlier this year to one count of receiving child pornography and one count of traveling with the intention to engage in illegal sexual conduct.
At the sentencing, Harris apologized to his victims and said he’s not an “evil person.”
“I am deeply sorry for all the trauma my abuse has caused you. I pray deep down that your suffering comes to an end,” the “Cheer” alum said. “I’m not an evil person. I’m still learning who I am and what my purpose is.”
Harris was arrested in September 2020 for soliciting videos and images from 14-year-old brothers. The indictment said that Harris also admitted to requesting images on Snapchat from 10 to 15 boys he knew were minors.
Federal prosecutors said Harris admitted to repeatedly asking a minor teen for pornographic videos and images between December 2018 and March 2020, per THR. Multiple incidents occurred across the country in Illinois, Florida, and Texas.
Prior to the conviction, Harris was one of the most popular characters on “Cheer” thanks to his encouraging, upbeat attitude and the support of his fellow cheerleaders during practices and competitions. The docuseries followed the Navarro College cheer team from Corsicana, Texas, as they competed on a national level.
Fans were so enamored by Harris’ charm that he was tapped to interview celebrities on the red carpet at the Academy Awards for “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” before the sexual misconduct charges were filed. Season 2 of “Cheer” continued without Harris’ involvement because of the pending trial. Decider reported that documentary-makers reached out to Harris to set up an interview while he was in prison awaiting sentencing, according to The Daily Wire, but he turned them down.