Jerry Harris has been ordered to register as a sex offender following his 12-year prison sentence for sexual offences involving minors.
The ‘Cheer’ star - who has been under investigation by the FBI for allegedly soliciting minors for sex in May 2019 - is also required to participate in a sex offender treatment program and cannot come in contact with any of those involved in the case.
As reported by Page Six, he must sign up for a mental health treatment program and take any medications prescribed.
The 22-year-old actor was sentenced to 12 years in prison after initially pleaded not guilty to seven charges in December 2020 but previously reached a plea deal and admitted to receiving child pornography and engaging in interstate travel for the purpose of engaging in illicit sexual acts with a minor under the age of 15, with prosecutors asking for the remaining charges to be dropped as part of the deal.
He told the court he regretted his decisions and apologised to the victims, adding: “I am ashamed as I know that I took advantage of your youth and weakness. I was wrong and selfish. I caused you harm and I do not blame anyone.”
Harris was arrested in September 2020 after the FBI raided his Naperville, Illinois home and charged him with producing child pornography.
Harris' lawyers said at the time their client wanted to “take responsibility for his actions and publicly convey his remorse for the harm he has caused the victims.”
Jerry had been in custody since his arrest in September 2020 and according to his legal team, he has been undergoing in therapy in prison and “will spend the rest of his life making amends for what he has done.”
His lawyers also told how their client had been sexually abused as a child in the world of competitive cheerleading.
The statement said: “There being no safe harbour to discuss his exploitation, Jerry instead masked his trauma and put on the bright face and infectious smile that the world came to know. “
As we now know, Jerry became an offender himself as an older teenager.”
Authorities in Illinois previously explained the investigation was kicked off when the cheerleader allegedly contacted an underage youth via a social media app and "repeatedly enticed him to produce sexually explicit videos and photographs of himself", despite being told in their first exchange that the alleged victim was just 13 years old.
