Jerry Harris, star of Netflix docuseries Cheer, was sentenced to 12 years in prison for sex crimes involving minors. The show is about the Navarro College cheer team in Corsicana, Texas. Season two came out in January.
The latest season touched on Harris and the accusations against him. One episode featured interviews with Harris’s former teammates addressing the charges, and the twin brothers who are suing Harris, as well as their mother.
Harris is 22. He had reached a plea deal in February, where he would be sentenced for two of seven federal charges he faced, and the remaining charges would be dropped. He had initially pleaded not guilty to all seven charges late in 2020. The charges he was sentenced for involved Harris persuading a 17-year-old to send him explicit photos for money and travel to Florida, according to the New York Times, “for the purpose of engaging in illicit sexual conduct.”
Harris was arrested in September 2020 for production of child pornography. He was also sued by twin teenage brothers who said he had sent them sexually explicit messages, and that Harris had asked for nude photos.
Harris has been held at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in Chicago. He will also have eight years of court-supervised release following his time in prison. ■
