Comment Jerry Harris, a former star of the Netflix documentary series “Cheer,” was sentenced Wednesday to 12 years in prison for soliciting explicit photos and soliciting sex from teenagers at cheerleading competitions, the Associated Press reported. U.S. District Judge Manish Shah asked Harris to view the sentence as “an expression of the seriousness of your crimes, with some hope that all is not lost for you or your victims and that in the future some healing may come.” The AP reported, noting that the prison time will be followed by eight years of supervised release. Lawyers for 22-year-old Harris said in a statement that their client was “extremely grateful for Judge Shah’s recognition of his humanity, worth and potential for rehabilitation”. They added that Harris had “nothing but empathy and remorse for the people he hurt and hopes that today’s proceedings have brought them some peace.” The statement also included comments Harris made on Wednesday in court, where he thanked his supporters and apologized to his victims for “all the trauma my abuse has caused you”. “I pray that your suffering ends and you move on[s] it gives you the closure you need,” he said. “I am ashamed as I know that I took advantage of your youth and weakness. I was wrong and selfish. I have caused you harm and I do not blame anyone. I regret my decisions and I am deeply sorry.” Harris rose to fame due to the huge popularity of the documentary series “Cheer,” which premiered in early 2020 and followed a group of college cheerleaders in Corsicana, Texas. He was arrested in September of that year on federal child pornography charges. The FBI also searched his residence in Naperville, Ill. Prosecutors filed additional charges against Harris in December, NBC News reported. According to federal court records, Harris told agents he solicited explicit photos from a 13-year-old girl on Snapchat over a 15-month period and solicited oral sex from the minor on two occasions. He also said he requested and received photos of about a dozen other minors and had sexual activity with another minor. Harris was arrested following a lawsuit filed on behalf of the 13-year-old and his twin brother. Both appeared earlier this year on the second season of “Cheer,” in which they described Harris’ behavior toward them. In February, Harris pleaded guilty to two charges against him. His lawyers said Harris wanted to “take responsibility for his actions and publicly convey his remorse for the harm he caused the victims in this case.”
