Photo Credit: Jerry Harris/Instagram
Jerry Harris appeared in the 2020 Netflix documentary Cheers as a cheerleader from Navarro College in Corsicana, Texas, even appearing on Todrick Hall’s Quarantine Queen album, well on his way to having a bright career until he was arrested September 2020 by the FBI for producing child pornography. As of now a prosecutor has sought 15 years in prison from a federal judge as his sentence.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kelly Guzman wrote Wednesday in a sentencing memo that Harris “used what he had at his disposal” to commit his crimes: “his status as a competitive cheerleader, his social media persona, and eventually his celebrity and money, to persuade and entice his young victims to engage in sexually explicit conduct for him or with him.” His behavior caused one of his victims to became “anxious, unable to sleep, experienced panic attacks and developed a fear of public restrooms.”
Harris’ attorneys Todd Pugh and Joshua Herman are asking for a lighter 6 year sentence saying “the reality is that [Harris] is both victimizer and victim,” citing his own sexual assault he experienced as a child. Their defense memo showed Harris said “I had to face what I did. I was an adult, and I took advantage of these teen boys. I was wrong. I caused harm. I was selfish and I exploited their weakness. It was all me. I realized what I did was wrong, and it was bad and I truly do feel sorry for it. And I am ashamed of myself.” His attorneys also argued that he had been “the target of inmate exploitation” because of his public profile.
Guzman said he raped a 15 year old boy at an Orlando cheerleading competition “with thousands of people present.” And he destroyed his phone when he found out he was under investigation in May 2020 but still went on to solicit more explicit photos and videos from another minor. All of this began when the mother of twin competitive cheerleaders found texts of his in February 2020.
Harris’ attorneys said he did not use his status with the film to prey on minors because “most of the offense conduct occurred well before the airing of ‘Cheer’ in January of 2020.” To that point Guzman stated, “while the Netflix series did bring him a wider measure of fame, Harris had become a respected and influential figure in his sport well before that television show aired. Harris was an older, more experienced athlete on illustrious, elite competitive teams, with a social media following, and a coach to younger, less-experienced athletes.”
The 5th episode of the 2nd season of Cheer was dedicated to the charges Harris was brought up against with former castmate Gabi Butler saying, “Immediately my heart completely sank I honestly thought I was living in a bad dream. I could not wrap my head around any of that. I felt like someone had just died,” Butler says he called her “balling.” She went on to say, “I completely broke down. I was literally screaming and crying at the same time. And I remember Maddy [Brum] came out of her apartment and she just hugged me.”
Harris’ sentencing is scheduled to start July 6th.
