Former 'Cheer' star Jerry Harris sentenced to 12 years in prison in child sex abuse case

• Former "Cheer" star Jerry Harris has been sentenced to 12 years in federal prison.
• Harris pleaded guilty to child pornography charges brought against him in September 2020.

Former "Cheer" star Jerry Harris has been sentenced to 12 years in federal prison in a child sex abuse case brought against him in 2020, according to USA Today.

Harris previously pleaded guilty in the federal child pornography case, in which he was accused of receiving child pornography and of traveling with intent to engage in "illicit sexual conduct," according to court documents.

Prosecutors said in September 2020 that Harris was accused of enticing an underage boy to produce sexually explicit videos and photos of himself.

Prosecutors had recommended a 15-year sentence for Harris, even though the charges brought against him could have called for up to 50 years behind bars.

Assistant US Attorney Kelly Guzman pointed to Harris' difficult childhood as a reason for the lighter recommendation, Insider previously reported.

"Harris's childhood included periods of poverty and homelessness; he was young at the time he committed these horrific offenses; and due to his childhood full of setbacks and developmental delays, he was far less mature than his age at the time of the offenses," Guzman wrote.

A separate court filing by Harris' lawyers said he is "profoundly remorseful" of his actions. They wrote that a six-year sentence would have been sufficient for Harris.

The 22-year-old professional cheerleader was a fan favorite in season one of Netflix's "Cheer," which debuted in early 2020. The fallout between Harris and the team and details of his arrest were recounted in 2022's second season.