Cheer Controversy: Netflix Has Nothing to Say After Three Men from ‘Cheer’ Arrested for Sex Crimes Against Minors
In 2017, the streaming service scored a smash with Cheer, which followed an outstanding cheerleading squad from Navarro College as they prepared for the National Cheerleading Association’s final tournament in Daytona Beach.
The modest junior college in the peaceful rural town of Corsicana, Texas is home to a nationally renowned powerhouse cheerleading squad coached by coach Monica Aldama.
The documentary series follows a group of athletes as they train tirelessly around the clock to perfect their back handsprings, jumps, and other gravity-defying exploits in hopes of winning a championship trophy.
Fast-rising cheerleader Jerry Harris became an overnight sensation. The 21-year-upbeat old’s attitude and motivational “mat talks” won over fans and made them want to see him succeed in the final round.
He seemed like he was ready to make the leap to TV stardom with ease. His work with Ellen DeGeneres at the Oscars included him interviewing stars on the red carpet, and Oprah invited him to join her onstage in Dallas for her 2020 Vision tour. He had been making appearances on morning shows and signing sponsored deals before announcing that he had moved out.
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But in September, when Harris was arrested on charges of making child porn, everything came crashing down “Chicago federal prosecutors say a 13-year-old was “entic[ed]” to create sexually explicit movies and images of himself.
Harris apparently revealed to authorities that he had asked up to 15 youngsters for nude photographs over Snapchat. The criminal complaint further alleges that in 2019, he had sexual contact with a 15-year-old cheerleader. It says Harris initially spoke with the youngster, then 13, on Snapchat.
In December, a seven-count indictment was filed against Harris, accusing him of receiving and attempting to receive child pornography, as well as convincing a minor “to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing a visual depiction of such conduct, and… transmitting a live visual depiction of such conduct.”
Five children from the states of Texas, Illinois, and Florida were among the new suspects. In response to the allegations against him, he has entered a not guilty plea. His attorney did not return a call seeking comment before the article went to press.
Since his first arrest, Harris has remained in jail, and Netflix has only made one remark on the situation. “We are as surprised as everyone else by this information. A representative has remarked, “Any abuse of kids is a horrific crime, and we support the judicial process.”
Two additional males with ties to the Cheers cast have been arrested on child molestation accusations.
Mitchell Ryan, a former member of the Navarro College cheerleading squad who appears on the program, was arrested on Wednesday and charged with aggravated sexual abuse of a child for an event that occurred in July 2020, according to the Dallas County Sheriff’s Office.
The 23-year-bond old’s was set at $50,000 and he was freed early on Friday. A statement sent by Ryan’s former employer, Cheer Athletics, a gym in Plano, Texas, says the facility heard of the charges against Ryan last year and promptly fired him and notified the police.
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