Navarro Cheer and coach Monica Aldama have released statements on the arrest of Jeremy Harris, a former cheerleader featured in the Netflix docuseries, “Cheer."
In a Thursday news release, the U.S. Attorney’s office in Chicago said Harris was taken into custody “on a federal child pornography charge for allegedly enticing an underage boy to produce sexually explicit videos and photos of himself.”
At the time of the initial encounter, the victim said he told Harris he was 13 years old. The release did not say how old Harris was at the time of the first encounters.
A rep for Harris says he has done nothing wrong.
In a statement, Navarro Cheer, the squad Harris was on that was featured in the Netflix show, said they were “devastated” by the news.
“Our hearts are shattered into a million pieces. We are devastated by this shocking, unexpected news. Our children must be protected from abuse & exploitation, & we are praying hard for the victims and everyone affected. Please respect our privacy as our family mourns together.”
Our hearts are shattered into a million pieces. We are devastated by this shocking, unexpected news. Our children must be protected from abuse & exploitation, & we are praying hard for the victims and everyone affected. Please respect our privacy as our family mourns together.
— Navarro Cheer (@Navarro_Cheer) September 18, 2020
At the time of his arrest, Harris is not a member of Navarro Cheer. The team coach, Monica Aldama posted a similar statement to her Instagram page.
USA Today reported that the criminal investigation is based on allegations brought by 14-year-old twin brothers, although the U.S. Attorney’s Office statement does not include that information. According to the report, the victims said they were the subject of harassment online and at cheer competitions from when they were 13 and Harris was 19. The harassment continued for over a year, they said.
“We categorically dispute the claims made against Jerry Harris, which are alleged to have occurred when he was a teenager,” a spokesperson for Harris said in a statement. “We are confident that when the investigation is completed the true facts will be revealed.”
Gabi Butler and La’Darius Marshall, who were also in the Netflix series and on the team with Harris, commented on the news on Instagram.
“Like most of you, I am shocked, dismayed and deeply saddened by the recent news concerning my friend,” Butler wrote in a statement posted Friday. “Ever since I heard the news I have gone back and forth between sobbing uncontrollably and trying to wrap my head around why something like this could happen.
“To be clear, although I have been a close friend and teammate with Jerry, I was never aware of anything like that he has been accused of taking place,” she continued. "I believe the protection of children is more important than ever in today’s world.”
"I feel as though I have had the wind knocked out of me,” Marshall wrote in a post. “How could this happen? As a victim of sexual abuse as a child, I know all too well the pain of experiencing this type of abuse and the difficulties it can create for life after such trauma.”
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