Jerry Harris, a star from the Netflix show Cheer, was arrested on one count of producing child pornography.
Harris, 21, has been charged for his role in enticing underage boys to produce sexually explicit videos and photographs of themselves, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Illinois. Authorities arrested Harris on Thursday morning in Naperville, Illinois.
Prosecutors accused Harris of using social media to prey on twin boys, who identified themselves as 13-year-old boys at the beginning of their conversations. A representative for Harris maintained that the cheerleading star is innocent in a statement to ABC News.
“We categorically dispute the claims made against Jerry Harris, which are alleged to have occurred when he was a teenager,” the representative said. “When the investigation is completed the true facts will be revealed.”
A representative for Netflix told the Washington Examiner the company was “shocked” by Harris’s arrest.
“Like everyone we are shocked by this news. Any abuse of minors is a terrible crime and we respect the legal process,” the representative said.
An attorney for the victims said the boys started receiving sexually explicit messages from Harris after giving him their phone numbers. The two had met Harris at a cheerleading event hosted by the United States All Star Federation and Varsity, a company that produces cheerleading products. Attorneys for the two victims announced that they would be filing a child sexual abuse lawsuit against Harris, United States All Star Federation, and Varsity.
“Among the messages, Harris would continue to demand that victims ‘send nudes,’ expressly demand that these young boys send Harris child pornography, including pictures of their naked bodies,” the attorneys said in a statement announcing the lawsuit on Tuesday.
“This case presents one more sad, and shocking, example of a sexual predator using his fame and position of authority as a coach and mentor to sexually abuse children,” the attorneys added. “USASF and the other defendants failed in their responsibility to protect our clients from his abuse by properly supervising the Harris’s conduct as their employee and agent.”
The FBI is also investigating Harris. The agency conducted a raid on his home earlier this week.
Harris was the breakout star of the show Cheer. He has been interviewed by many prominent figures, including Oprah Winfrey, Ellen DeGeneres, and Joe Biden.
