The star of Netflix’s hit series Cheer apologized to his victims and said he was “still learning who I am” at a federal court hearing in Chicago on Wednesday.
Prosecutors had pushed for a lengthy sentence, saying Harris’ status as a popular celebrity had enabled him to “convince and entice” his young victims to engage in sexual behaviour.
Judge Manish S Shah told the social media star and champion cheerleader 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 occur ‘.
Harris, 22, who has remained in custody at a federal detention center since his arrest in September 2020, appeared in court for the sentencing, which lasted about seven hours.
Addressing his victims before receiving his sentence, he said: “I am deeply sorry for all the trauma my abuse has caused you.
“I pray deep down that your suffering will end.”
He added: “I’m not a bad person. I’m still learning who I am and what my purpose is.’
Star Jerry Harris, who appeared in 2020, pleaded guilty Thursday to federal charges of soliciting sex from minors at cheerleading competitions
The complaint says Harris sent this photo to one of the boys on Snapchat asking, “Would you ever like to ***.” The boy told authorities he interpreted this as Harris asking him to perform sexual acts
The criminal complaint related to his arrest includes several photos and text exchanges allegedly between Harris and the boy. In a Snapchat exchange included in the complaint, the boy sent a photo of himself and Harris allegedly replied, “Get naked and take a video.”
Notable figures cited as authors of the character letters used by his defense included other cheer stars such as Navarro College coach Monica Aldama, teammate Morgan Simianer and the parents of Harris’ fellow cheerleader Gabi Butler.
Harris, who quickly rose to fame in the first season of the cheerleading-related Netflix hits, had pleaded guilty to two counts — obtaining child pornography through interstate commerce and traveling across state lines for the purpose of unlawful sexual conduct. with a minor.
The Texas native was 19 at the time of his arrest.
Harris, of the Chicago suburb of Naperville, previously pleaded guilty to one count of traveling with intent to engage in unlawful sexual conduct and one count of receiving child pornography.
His pleas were accepted during a hearing in US federal court in Chicago in February.
Harris, pictured above on “Ellen,” rose to fame in the first season of the cheerleading-related Netflix hit
The complaint says Harris first contacted the boy on Instagram in 2018, who told him he was just 13 years old. Harris reportedly replied: “Oh, you got pictures?”, before adding the pictures must be of his face and “booty”
Pictured above on the left is a screenshot included in the complaint of several nude photos she allegedly sent to Harris. Harris’s face can be seen in one of the images. The photo at right is a text Harris allegedly sent the boy saying he had “found a place for us to do things” at a cheerleading competition
The complaint said exchanges between Harris and one of the boys stopped earlier this year. A text message included in the complaint shows the boy asking Harris why he had blocked him on Snapchat. “I don’t think we should be friends on Snap,” Harris said
Harris pleaded guilty to two of the seven charges against him, including persuading a 17-year-old to send him sexual images in exchange for money.
The other count stemmed from a trip he took to Florida to “engage in unlawful sexual conduct” with a 15-year-old girl.
Prosecutors also alleged at the time that he requested videos and images from two 14-year-old brothers.
U.S. prosecutors agreed to drop the remaining five charges as part of a plea deal.
According to the indictment, Harris allegedly solicited sex from minors at cheerleading competitions and convinced the teenage boys to send him lewd photos and videos of themselves.
Harris later admitted to FBI agents that he asked a teenage boy to send him pictures of him and that he requested child pornography on Snapchat from at least 10 to 15 others he knew to be minors, according to the indictment.
Harris sexually assaulting (a) boy in such a public place, an unlocked public bathroom, during an event attended by dozens of responsible adults shows that Harris is either not interested in being caught committing his crimes or simply he can’t stop himself,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Parente wrote of one of Harris’ victims.
One count of child pornography in the US carries a sentence ranging from five to 20 years, and the second count carries a maximum sentence of 30 years.
Authorities said Harris forced the underage victims to send him indecent photos and videos of themselves soliciting sex from boys as young as 13 at cheerleading competitions across the country, according to the Tribune.
In December 2020, Harris was charged with misconduct at such competitions in Illinois, Florida, and Texas, with federal prosecutors alleging that Harris had attempted to persuade a minor to perform oral sex at a cheerleading event.
Authorities also allege he solicited another minor for sex in a different state and admitted to having five to 10 victims in total.
Prosecutors had characterized him as an important figure in the competitive cheerleading community because of his role in the popular Netflix docuseries, which follows a group of cheerleaders from Navarro College in Corsicana, Texas.
The popular Netflix documentary follows a cheerleading squad, pictured above, from Navarro College in Corsicana, Texas
A still image taken from the Netflix documentary “Cheer,” featuring the Navarro College cheerleading squad pictured above
Harris’ ‘Cheer’ Co-Stars Address Child Porn Allegations Against Him During Season Two
The Naperville native has been behind bars since the fall of 2020, when U.S. Magistrate Judge Heather McShain said he would be a danger to the community if released after an initial charge of producing child pornography.
McShane added that Harris had used his position in the cheerleading community to meet and proposition his young victims, while dismissing the “blurred line” between Harris’ age and his alleged victims.
“(Harris) wasn’t a kid,” McShane said. “He was an adult.”
On Tuesday, federal prosecutors described Harris as a sexual predator who used his fame to prey on young boys at cheerleading events across the country.
Authorities said Harris continued to sexually pursue minors even after learning he was under investigation, with prosecutors asking the court to deny Harris bond.
Meanwhile, Harris’ lawyers had asked the courts to release him under house arrest, adding that he suffers from asthma and is at risk of contracting COVID-19 in prison.
Harris is being held without bond at the Chicago Metropolitan Correctional Center, records show.
