Shortly after Cheer star and former Navarro College cheer team member Jerry Harris was arrested on child pornography charges, Harris' former teammates Gabi Butler and La'Darius Marshall have spoken out about the news.
On Instagram, Marshall stated that the recent events surrounding Harris have been "gut wrenching."
"As a victim of sexual abuse as a child, I know all too well the pain of experiencing this kind of abuse and the difficulties it can create in life after such trauma," Marshall explained, adding, "I am broken to pieces to see this happen with someone close to me."
"We must do better," he concluded. "We must protect our children. I pray for healing for everyone involved."
In her own Instagram post, Butler said she was "shocked, dismayed and deeply saddened" by the recent news.
She shared that though she was close to Harris, she was never aware of the behavior of which he is being accused. "My heart is broken," the cheerleader concluded.
"Ever since I heard the news," Gabi wrote, "I have gone back and forth between sobbing uncontrollably and trying to wrap my head around why something like this could happen."
"Issuing a statement like this hurts my heart more than any of you will ever know. As a Christian woman, the only thing I know to do is to pray for all involved and for the world we live in. My heart is broken," she concluded.
A fan-favorite on Netflix docuseries Cheer, Harris, 21, was arrested on a child pornography charge on Sept. 17 for allegedly soliciting sexually explicit photos from an underage boy. The boy's mother reportedly learned of the alleged solicitation and reported Harris to the FBI and the Fort Worth Police Department.
In a statement to E! News, a representative for Harris denied the allegations, which they said allegedly occurred when Harris was a teenager himself.
"We are confident that when the investigation is completed the true facts will be revealed," the representative said.
Monica Aldama, Harris' former coach at Navarro College in Texas, also expressed devastation about the arrest on Instagram, saying that her "heart is shattered into a million pieces."
"Our children must be protected from abuse and exploitation," she continued, "and I'm praying hard for the victims and everyone affected."