Netflix’s ‘Cheer’ Stars Express Shock Over Teammate Jerry Harris’ Arrest On Child Porn Charges

Topline

Three cheerleading world celebrities and stars of the Netflix hit series Cheer have spoken out for the first time since teammate and fan-favorite Jerry Harris was arrested and charged with the production of child pornography.

Key Facts

Key Background

The documentary series Cheer that followed a season of a Texas community college’s cheerleading squad was an instant hit on Netflix and catapulted the the cast to stardom—squad members have appeared on the Ellen show, been spoofed on an episode of Saturday Night Live and fielded opportunities for sponsored social media posts. Aldama is a competitor on the current season of Dancing With The Stars. Harris himself even interviewed Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden on Instagram prior to his arrest. USA Today reported earlier this week that Harris was being investigated by the FBI after two 14-year-old twin brothers who met Harris through cheerleading accused him of sexual misconduct. Harris was arrested Thursday and according to court documents, admitted to asking for and receiving explicit messages from more than a dozen minors via the Snapchat photo app, paid a 17-year-old for nude photographs of the teen and had sex at a cheer meet with a 15-year-old.

Further Reading

Jerry Harris from ‘Cheer’ charged with producing child porn. He admitted receiving explicit photos from minors, court records show (USA Today)

Jerry Harris from ‘Cheer’ under FBI investigation for allegedly soliciting sex from minors (USA Today)