Ex-Cheer star Jerry Harris sentenced to 12 years in prison
for child sexual abuse images charges
22-year-old breakout star on Netflix’s cheerleading show had pleaded guilty
to crimes relating to child abuse images and soliciting sex from minors
Jerry Harris was sentenced to 12 years on Wednesday after pleading guilty in a federal child sexual abuse images case. Photograph: Jim Spellman/Getty Images
Press Association
Thu 7 Jul 2022 02.41 BST
Jerry Harris, the star of hit Netflix series Cheer, has been sentenced to 12 years behind bars in the US for crimes relating to child sexual abuse images and soliciting sex from minors.
Prosecutors had urged the lengthy sentence, saying that Harris’s status as a celebrity had enabled him to “persuade and entice” his young victims to engage in sexual conduct.
Judge Manish S Shah handed the social media star and cheerleading champion the sentence at a federal court in Chicago on Wednesday. Harris, who has remained in custody at a federal detention facility since his arrest in September 2020, appeared in court for the sentence.
From the Chicago suburb of Naperville, Harris was the breakout star of Cheer, a series following a cheerleading team from Navarro college in Corsicana, Texas, as it sought a national title. The second series of Cheer addressed the investigation into Harris, and dedicated an entire episode to the incidents, titled Jerry.
Notable figures listed as authors of character letters to be used by the defence included other stars of Cheer such as the Navarro college head coach, Monica Aldama, teammate Morgan Simianer, and the parents of Gabi Butler, one of Harris’s fellow cheerleaders.
The 22-year-old previously pleaded guilty to one count of travelling with the intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct and one count of receiving child sexual abuse images. These stemmed from incidents where Harris persuaded a 17-year-old to send him sexually explicit photographs for money, and a trip he took to Florida for the purpose of “engaging in illicit sexual conduct” with a 15-year-old.
He admitted to a further five charges, but US prosecutors agreed to drop the remaining five counts under a plea agreement.
A US child sexual abuse images charge carries a sentence ranging from five to 20 years and the second charge carries a maximum sentence of 30 years.
Harris was arrested in September 2020 on a charge of production of child sexual abuse images. Federal prosecutors alleged at the time that he solicited videos and images from two 14-year-old brothers, and had admitted to repeatedly asking a minor teen for child sexual abuse videos and images between December 2018 and March 2020.
In December 2020 he was indicted on more charges alleging misconduct in Illinois, Florida and Texas.
According to the indictment, Harris had allegedly solicited sex from minors at cheerleading competitions and convinced teenage boys to send him obscene photographs and videos of themselves.
Harris later admitted to FBI agents to asking a teenage boy to send him photographs, and to requesting child sexual abuse images on Snapchat from at least 10 to 15 others he knew to be minors, according to the indictment.
DJ Tim Westwood accused of sex with girl, 14,
three others accuse him of assaulting them as teens
Holly Christodoulou
15:24, 13 Jul 2022
TIM Westwood has been hit with a fresh wave of allegations after a 14-year-old girl accused him of having sex with her.
The ex-Radio 1 DJ was described as a "predator" by the girl, with nine further women accusing him of sexual misconduct.
Tim Westwood has been accused of assaulting women
It comes after a string of women accused him of abusing his position in the music industry in April.
The teen, named as Esther, claimed Westwood - then aged in his 30s - had sex with her several times from when she was 14.
She told the BBC she met the DJ at the Arch in Vauxhall in 1990.
Esther said he "didn't look shocked" when she told him her age and said she could keep coming to the club.
Recalling the alleged abuse, she said Westwood had asked to meet her at Hammersmith Station where he picked up her in his car.
The DJ drove her back to a flat and offered her a drink, which Esther refused, before he kissed her, it is claimed.
She added: "I was like, OK, I don't have a problem with that. And then, it progressed from there. We had sex."
Esther said Westwood continued to call her after night and alleged she "never" gave her consent.
She claimed she broke off contact with Westwood when she turned 16 and described herself as "prey".
Kevin Spacey will stand trial as he DENIES four sex attacks on three men
Holly Christodoulou
13:33, 14 Jul 2022
The Scottish Sun
HOLLYWOOD actor Kevin Spacey will face a trial after he today DENIED a string of sex attacks dating back 17 years.
The Oscar-winning actor, 62, allegedly assaulted three men in London and Gloucestershire.
Spacey pleaded not guilty to four counts of sexual assault and one other sex offence when he appeared at the Old Bailey today.
The actor, whose real name is Kevin Spacey Fowler, was granted unconditional bail ahead of a provisional trial date of June 6, 2023.
All the offences were allegedly carried out between 2005 and 2013 while he was artistic director at the Old Vic theatre.
Two of the sexual assault counts were allegedly carried out a man, now aged in his 40s, in London in March 2005.
Spacey is also accused of sexually assaulting a man, now in his 30s, and causing him to engage in penetrative sexual activity without consent in London in August 2008.
He faces a further charge of sexual assault on a man, who is now in his 30s, in Gloucestershire in April 2013.
A Met Police probe was launched in 2017 and American Beauty star Spacey was interviewed under caution two years later.
He wasn't arrested but spoke to officers about a number of allegations.
London's Old Vic theatre apologised as it revealed it had received allegations of inappropriate behaviour while Spacey was artistic director.
Theatre bosses said a "cult of personality" had contributed to the organisation’s failings.
Spacey was stripped of an International Emmy Award in the wake of the claims.
His central character in acclaimed Netflix series House of Cards was also killed off after he was axed from the show.
The actor, who has a home in London and the US, has previously denied all allegations against him.
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