Celebrity cheerleader Jerry Harris is under FBI investigation for allegedly soliciting sex, nude photos from twin brothers. They say Harris harassed them online and at competitions. He has not been charged. usatoday.com/in-depth/news/…
The two boys who have accused Harris of abuse, Charlie and Sam, their mother and their attorney spoke with USA TODAY. The family has also filed a civil suit. twitter.com/i/web/status/1…
Charlie and Sam described a pattern of harassment by Harris, both online and in person, that started when they were 13 and spanned more than a year. The family provided screenshots of texts and Snapchat messages they say show Harris soliciting nude photos.
During an interview in his Texas home, Charlie said his interactions with Harris left him struggling with anxiety. He lost sleep, his grades suffered, and he cried at school.
When Netflix released “Cheer” in January, Charlie said people who knew of their friendship begged him to FaceTime Harris and allow them to say hello. He said Harris agreed — if Charlie agreed to send him nude photos. The messages continued until this spring, Charlie said.
The boys said they are discouraged to see Harris still involved in cheerleading, his prominence only growing. They said they chose to share their story because they want to be a voice for others who may have faced abuse, including in cheerleading: bit.ly/3hxrf0w
Jerry Harris did not respond to a request for comment.
“I would not be putting myself out there and doing all this stuff and literally losing my friends about this for no reason,” Charlie said. “Jerry is just an example of how you can see someone as one way, but they're truly a different person.” bit.ly/3hxrf0w
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