Federal prosecutors filed a motion asking the judge to keep Cheer star Jerry Harris detained as he awaits his trial for child pornography.
According to documents obtained by Entertainment Tonight, Harris allegedly sent and requested inappropriate photos from multiple minors for over two years.
Prosecutors claim that Harris, “by his own admission,” assaulted a 15-year-old boy “in an unlocked public bathroom, during an event attended by dozens of responsible adults.”
BuzzFeed News reports that Harris “exploited and violated” at least 10 boys, federal prosecutors in Chicago allege, labeling him a “child predator.”
The new allegations were made in a court filing on Tuesday (October 13, 2020) “demonstrates that Harris either does not care about being caught committing his offenses, or simply cannot stop himself,” prosecutors said.
The filing also alleges that Harris destroyed his phone when he first learned of the investigation, only to use his new “clean” phone weeks later to victimize more boys.
“Even after Harris was tipped off to the investigation and he destroyed his cell phone, he still could not stop himself from acting out on his criminal desires,” prosecutors said.
Again, prosecutors said this suggested that Harris either could not control his criminal impulses, or just did not care about getting caught.
Describing Harris, 21, as “a clear and present danger to the community,” the prosecutors are requesting that he be detained pending trial. He faces 15-30 years in prison.
