‘Cheer’ Star Jerry Harris Facing New Child Pornography Charges

Former Netflix star Jerry Harris is facing additional child pornography charges revealed in an indictment released Friday. According to Buzzfeed News, the indictment filed Thursday in federal court references “at least five alleged underage victims connected to Harris. The latest charges follow those filed in September after the Cheer star’s arrest on suspicion of producing child pornography.

According to Buzzfeed News, the new charges accuse the Cheer star of four counts of producing child pornography, one count of receiving child pornography, a count of enticing a minor to engage in sexual activity and another count of traveling to engage in sex with a minor.

Harris’ arrest was made on the heels of a lawsuit filed against the Netflix star in Texas that accused Harris of “soliciting sex, sending sexually explicit messages and asking for nude pictures from two 14-year-old twins.

Harris denied the allegations at the time while authorities said the Netflix star had reportedly “harassed” one of the twin boys at cheerleading competitions since age 13. Police also noted that one of the boys sent the Cheer star “more than a dozen explicit images,” and he allegedly sent his own in return.

The charges and accusations against Harris grew from his arrest, with allegations of sodomy against another young boy and prosecutors referring to him as a “brazen sexual predator” after the revelation that at ten boys could be Harris’ victims.

Since being taken into custody, Harris has remained in a cell and a judge ruled the former streaming personality was a “significant danger to the community” on the insistence of the prosecution.

Harris’ fellow Cheer stars opened up about the arrest and their feelings toward the allegations. Gabi Butler posted on Instagram shortly after the arrest in September, adding that she was “shocked, dismayed and deeply saddened” by the news.

“Ever since I heard the news I have gone back and forth between sobbing uncontrollably and trying to wrap my head around why something like this could happen. To be clear, although I have been a close friend and teammate with Jerry, I was never aware of anything like that he has been accused of taking place. I believe the protection of children is more important than ever in today’s world,” Butler wrote.

Fellow co-star La’Darius Marshall echoed her sentiments, saying the news “knocked the wind out of me” and reminded him of his own victimhood. “How could this happen? As a victim of sexual abuse as a child, I know all too well the pain of experiencing this type of abuse and the difficulties it can create for life after such trauma. My heart goes out to all who may be affected by this behavior from adults,” he wrote. A date for Harris’ trial hasn’t been set yet, but the former Netflix star could face 15-years mandatory if convicted.