UPDATED 9/18, 5:35 p.m. ET: Monica Aldama, the head coach of the Navarro cheerleading team, has commented on Jerry Harris’ arrest, writing on Instagram that her “heart is shattered into a million pieces.”
She continued, “I am devastated by this shocking, unexpected news. Our children must be protected from abuse and exploitation, and I'm praying hard for the victims and everyone affected.”
In addition to keeping her role as head coach, Aldama is currently a contestant on Dancing with the Stars.
UPDATED 9/17, 2:00 p.m. ET: Jerry Harris has been arrested and charged with producing child pornography, the Chicago Tribune reported. He has been ordered to be detained until his hearing on Monday.
UPDATED 9/16, 11:50 a.m. ET: A pair of twin boys who are still minors are suing Jerry Harris for, as TMZ writes, “grooming them into sending nude photos and demanding sexual favors.” The Fort Worth, Texas boys say they met Harris in 2018 at cheerleading competitions and that his misconduct took place when they were only 13 and 14 years old.
The twins are seeking $1 million. The lawsuit, per TMZ, contends that “Harris almost immediately began taking them into his inner circle, befriending them on different social media platforms...and, eventually, soliciting 'booty pics' from them—exploiting the fact they were both gay.”
The allegations include a 2019 encounter where Harris is said to have “cornered” one of the boys in a bathroom stall during a competition and “begged” for oral sex; the boy escaped. The twins say they have encountered other minors who’ve been the victims of Harris’ misconduct. The United States All Star Federation and Varsity Spirit are defendants as well.
See original story below.
Jerry Harris, one of the cheerleaders from the hit Netflix show Cheer, is now the focus of an FBI probe for allegedly soliciting minors for sex.
USA Today reports that agents showed up at Harris' home in Illinois on Monday with a warrant in hand after the allegations surfaced. He hasn’t been charged.
The accusations came to light when Varsity—a private company in the cheerleading industry—notified police in Florida and Texas after learning about claims of “inappropriate sexual conduct” in August. Varsity showed two screenshots to authorities, including a purported Snapchat message of Jerry’s face, alongside the text, “Would you ever want to ****.”
According to TMZ, federal agents are also investigating Harris for alleged possession of child porn, in addition to investigating him for allegedly soliciting minors. Authorities were at Harris’ home all afternoon on Monday.
Harris’ spokesperson said he was 19 when the alleged solicitation occurred, in May 2019. Additionally, the allegations don’t involve physical contact. The spokesperson told TMZ, “We categorically dispute the claims made against Jerry Harris, which are alleged to have occurred when he was a teenager. We are confident that when the investigation is complete the true facts will be revealed.”
