Federal investigators are looking for additional victims after accusing Jeremiah "Jerry" Harris, one of the co-stars of the Netflix docuseries "Cheer," of producing child pornography.
Harris, 21, was a fan favorite on the show “Cheer,” which followed the cheerleaders of Navarro College in Corsicana as they prepared for a national competition.
According to a criminal complaint, Harris, who is from the Chicago suburb of Naperville, is accused of "enticing an underage boy to produce sexually explicit videos and photos of himself." The boy the complaint refers to was 13 at the time, according to the attorney's office.
More on Jerry Harris
On Tuesday, the Chicago FBI Field Office announced they created a webpage for the investigation and were seeking any other potential victims.
"The FBI is specifically seeking individuals who were under the age of 18 when Harris asked them to produce or view sexually graphic images or engage in sexual contact," the Chicago FBI said.
Investigators said the contact may have occurred in person or through the social media accounts. The FBI said Harris was known to use SnapChat (jerry_714) and Instagram (_jcoleofficial) but that he may have also used his name on other platforms.
The FBI said victims of federal crimes investigated by the FBI may be eligible for certain services, restitution, and rights under federal and/or state law. All identities of victims will be kept confidential. Victims can report contact with Harris and find additional victim resources at https://www.fbi.gov/jerryharris. As always, individuals can also report victimization by calling the Chicago Field Office at 312-421-6700.
According to attorney John Manly, Harris met his clients through the world of cheerleading. Manley said two children filed a federal lawsuit against Harris and the United States All-Star Federation, a cheerleading organization, saying that Harris “tried to engage” the boys in sex.
“My clients’ mother found inappropriate texts from Mr. Harris on the child’s phone, involving sex,” Manly said.
Harris’ attorney issued a statement denying the allegations.
“(We) categorically dispute the claims made against Jerry Harris, which are alleged to have occurred when he was a teenager,” the attorney said. “We are confident that when the investigation is completed, the true facts will be revealed.”
According to the U.S. Attorney's office, the production of child pornography charges carries a sentence of up to 30 years in prison, if convicted.
Navarro Cheer tweeted last week that it was "devastated by this shocking, unexpected news."
