Teenaged twin brothers say that Netflix’s Cheer star Jerry Harris sexually harassed and exploited them in a recent child sexual abuse lawsuit.

According to the lawsuit, Harris approached them at a cheerleading competition asking them for sex and threatened them. He also is accused of sending explicit sexual messages on social media and by text. The plaintiffs say Harris also demanded that they send naked pictures.

The lawsuit also names several organizations that allegedly received reports of the sex abuse perpetrated by Harris.

Jerry Harris starred in Netflix’s Cheer, an Emmy Award-nominated docuseries about a junior college competitive cheer squad. The Guardian reports that the series was a breakout hit in the early months of 2019.

“Jerry Harris, a breakout star from the show anointed a ‘human sunbeam’ by the New Yorker, worked the Oscars red carpet for Ellen and was fawned over by Cheer fans including Greta Gerwig, Laura Dern, Rebel Wilson, Billie Eilish and Kathy Bates, producing one of the week’s most joyous videos on the internet,” states the report by the Guardian.

However, on Sept. 15, 2020, USA Today reported that the star faced the lawsuit as well as an FBI investigation into accusations that he solicited sex from minors.

Teens Accuse Star of Sex Abuse in Lawsuit

The sex abuse lawsuit reportedly was filed in Texas. It alleges that Harris became friends with the twins when they were only 13 and he was 19 and exploited them because they were gay.

The plaintiffs say that they were “star struck” by Harris, who is also allegedly a cheer coach and well known in the cheer community. They say that they readily provided their contact information, including for social media to Harris when he asked. However, his contact with them became sexual “almost immediately,” according to the complaint.

The complaint says that the Netflix star would repeatedly ask the boys for sexual pictures and send pictures of himself performing sex acts. The boys say that the repeated requests and harassment by Harris made them uncomfortable, anxious, and continues to affect them.

“It was just eating me alive,” one plaintiff told USA Today reporters. “It was just making me so gross and uncomfortable. Every time I saw his name or something like that, I was just cringing about it.”

The plaintiffs’ mother says that she discovered explicit images of Harris on her children’s phones and reported Harris to several organizations named in the lawsuit as defendants. The plaintiff’s mother reportedly told USASF, a national cheer organization, about the pictures, but was frustrated by her interaction with USASF representatives.

“We have seen too many examples of national athletic organizations such as U.S.A. Gymnastics, U.S.A. Swimming and others ignore sexual abuse” an attorney representing the plaintiffs said in a statement regarding those with a high profile, such as Harris, who are accused of sex abuse. “I fear that there may be other victims in this case, and I urge them to follow the lead of our clients and report their abuse to law enforcement.”

According to USA Today, one of the plaintiff’s tweets says that the sex abuse of minors is becoming a major problem in the cheer industry.

“Pedophilia in cheer needs to be addressed. There are actual monsters of people who we all praise who are preying on little kids,” said the plaintiff’s July tweet. “It is sad how it’s almost gotten normalized in this industry.”

For his part, Harris denies the allegations.

“We categorically dispute the claims made against Jerry Harris, which are alleged to have occurred when he was a teenager,” a statement issued by Harris’ attorney reads. “We are confident that when the investigation is completed the true facts will be revealed.”

Netflix’s Cheer Star Also Faces Criminal Complaint

Harris has been accused of several instances of sex abuse, criminal as well as the civil complaint filed by the twins. The Chicago Tribune reports that Harris faces a criminal complaint in Chicago over alleged sex abuse of a minor. Reportedly, Harris solicited sexually explicit images and videos of minors. In addition, a 13-year-old victim says that star asked him for oral sex at a cheerleading competition.

Reportedly, Harris faces allegations that he approximately a dozen of minors for sexually explicit images. Additionally, an FBI raid on his house reportedly uncovered lewd pictures and other incriminating materials linked to the Netflix star.

The plaintiffs in the Texas lawsuit told USA Today reporters that though they are discouraged that the Netflix star is still involved in cheer, they hope that sharing their story will help change things.

“I would not be putting myself out there and doing all this stuff and literally losing my friends about this for no reason,” one of the teens told reporters. “It is not normal. Jerry is just an example of how you can see someone as one way, but they’re truly a different person.”

This article is not legal advice. It is presented
for informational purposes only.