He has since been detained
Jeremiah “Jerry” Harris has been arrested on a production of child sex images charge.
The 21-year-old, who starred in Netflix docu-series Cheer, has been accused of “enticing an underage boy to produce sexually explicit videos and photos of himself”.
Harris has denied the allegations.
CNN reports that a criminal complaint was filed in U.S. District Court in Chicago earlier this week. Harris attended court on Thursday, where his detention was sought by the government.
Harris’s representative is seeking his client’s release as he is “asthmatic” and therefore at risk of Covid-19. The government sought to have Harris detained claiming he is a danger to society.
Two complaints were filed against Harris earlier this week, one from an alleged victim who was 13-years-old at the time.
The production of child sex images is punishable by a maximum sentence of 30 years imprisonment and a minimum sentence of 15.
A spokesperson for Harris told CNN: “We categorically dispute the claims made against Jerry Harris, which are alleged to have occurred when he was a teenager.
“We are confident that when the investigation is completed the true facts will be revealed.”
A spokesperson for Netflix, where Cheer began streaming last year, said: “Like everyone we are shocked by this news. Any abuse of minors is a terrible crime and we respect the legal process.”
