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‘Cheer’ Star Jerry Harris To Remain Behind Bars After Child Porn Arrest
Jerry Harris’ attorney dropped his bond request for the time being as they look for a “suitable residence” should Harris secure his release.
“Cheer” star Jerry Harris will remain behind bars, at least for the time being, following his arrest last week on a federal child pornography charge.
Harris, a breakout star in Netflix’s popular docu-series chronicling the Navarro College Bulldogs Cheer Team as they prepare for the National Cheerleading Championship, appeared in court Monday via phone for a bond hearing. His attorney, Todd Pugh, had indicated he would push for Harris’ release, but dropped the bond request, telling U.S. Magistrate Judge Sunil Harjani that they were still looking for a “suitable residence” and a third-party custodian to be responsible for Harris upon release, according to the Chicago Tribune.
Harjani ordered Harris to remain in custody, though the reality star can request another detention hearing should he wish to seek bond in the future.
Harris, 21, is accused of “enticing an underage boy to produce sexually explicit videos and photos of himself,” prosecutors for the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Northern District of Illinois announced Thursday. The alleged victim was 13 when he started communicating with Harris, authorities say.
The boy, along with his twin brother, has come forward to accuse Harris of soliciting sexually explicit images, as well as sex acts, from him. One of the boys, who are now 14, told investigators he provided Harris with multiple sexual photos during the course of their communication, from late 2018 to March 2020, according to a criminal complaint in the case.
The boy alleged that in February 2019, Harris followed him into a bathroom at a cheerleading competition and solicited oral sex from him; he said he refused and left to rejoin his team, the criminal complaint states.
The boy’s twin told investigators that Harris had asked for sexually explicit pictures on several occasions, but he refused. Harris would become “pushy” and make the boy feel guilty for not supplying the photos, the teen said, according to the complaint.
Authorities provided screenshots in the complaint of text message conversations they allege took place between Harris and the boys. Harris allegedly admitted during a Sept. 14 interview with investigators to the illicit communication and to soliciting sex from the boys. He also allegedly admitted to “soliciting and receiving child pornography on Snapchat from at least between 10 to 15 other individuals he knew were minors,” and of engaging in sexual acts with a 15-year-old at a cheer event in 2019, according to the complaint.
In one of the final text exchanges with the first boy, Harris allegedly wrote “I’m sorry for what I’ve done in the past. I don’t think it’s a good idea that we be friends on snap.”
Harris, who’s being housed in Chicago’s Metropolitan Correctional Center, spoke just a short time during the hearing, telling the judge “Yes I can hear you, hello. Good morning,” according to the Chicago Tribune.
He has yet to enter a formal plea to the charge against him. If convicted, he faces a minimum of 15 years in prison, the Tribune reports.
Investigators are urging any other potential victims of sexual exploitation by Harris to call the FBI Chicago Field Office at (312) 421-6700.
