Actor Jerry Harris, best known for his role in 'Cheer', has been sentenced to 12 years in federal prison for soliciting sex with minors.
As per Variety, Harris' sentencing comes five months after the former reality star plead guilty to sexually assaulting a 15-year-old in a bathroom during a cheer competition and paying a 17-year-old to send him sexually explicit videos and photos.
He also admitted to similar conduct with other minors, but those charges were dropped in a plea agreement.
Harris' lawyers argued for a six-year sentence, saying that the 22-year-old had a "warped" view of relationships due to being assaulted at 13 by a 19-year-old. Prosecutors argued for a 15-year sentence, saying that Harris' childhood was not an excuse for his actions.
"Harris used his celebrity and wealth to continue his exploitation of children, expanding the tools available to him to manipulate them into gratifying his seemingly insatiable sexual desires," assistant US attorney Kelly Guzman said in her sentencing memorandum.
( With inputs from ANI )
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