CHICAGO — Jerry Harris, star of Netflix’s hit series “Cheer,” is scheduled to appear in court on Thursday afternoon just hours after Chicago’s Justice Department announced the 21-year-old had been arrested on charges of child pornography. 

What You Need To Know

  • Jerry Harris, star of Netflix's hit docu-series "Cheer," was arrested on child pornography charges on Thursday

  • The 21-year-old is accused of sending and receiving sexually explicit images to underage boys

  • The FBI raided Harris' home in Illinois on Monday

  • Harris is scheduled to appear in court on Thursday afternoon

The complaint, announced by U.S. Attorney John R. Lausch, Jr., stated Harris was being charged with one felony count of producing child pornogrpahy for allegedly “enticing an underage boy to produce sexually explicit videos and photos of himself.”

The minor allegedly told Harris he was only 13 years old during their initial online encounter, the complaint continued. 

Harris’ arrest came soon after the FBI raided his home on Monday, the same day that twin boys filed a lawsuit alleging he sent them sexually explicit photos of himself and cornered one of them in a bathroom and begged for oral sex.

FBI agents were photographed Monday coming out of a home in the Chicago suburb of Naperville that USA Today, which first reported the suit, said was Harris’ home.

The twins’ mother told the newspaper that both of her sons had spoken to the FBI, and the lawsuit alleges that she also reported the allegations to Fort Worth police, the FBI and others. The complaint contends that the mother contacted authorities after she saw messages from Harris on one of her son’s cell phones.

According to the complaint, Harris admitted during an interview that he had asked one of the teens to send him photographs and videos of his penis and buttocks on Snapchat. He also admitted that he repeatedly asked the teen, identified only as Minor 1, between December 2018 and March of this year for such photographs and videos.

Further, according to the complaint, Harris admitted to requesting and receiving on Snapchat child pornography from “at least between 10 to 15 other individuals he knew were minors.”

Harris was the breakout star of the show that followed the cheerleading team from Navarro College in Corsicana, Texas, as it sought a national title.

Harris did not respond for comment from USA Today, and attempts by The Associated Press and Spectrum News to find a phone number for Harris have not been successful.

Earlier in the week, a spokesperson for Harris denied any allegations of abuse against the TV personality in a statement to ABC News and Variety. 

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

The Associated Press contributed to this report.