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10 months ago
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The son of Monica Aldama, 51, of Netflix’s Cheer, has been arrested and charged with alleged possession of child porn, confirmed TMZ in a Monday, January 22 report. According to the outlet, the reality TV star’s son Austin Aldama was booked in Nararro County, Texas last Thursday, January 18. The charges include 10 counts of alleged possession of child pornography, and he now reportedly faces a grand jury indictment.
According to the outlet, Austin was later released on bond under conditions including random drug testing, refraining from viewing pornographic images, and voluntary searches of his phone and computer. In documents reportedly obtained by the outlet, prosecutors cited alleged evidence including “several” videos with explicit file names involving children under the age of 10. TMZ included in their report that Austin hasn’t entered a plea, as he has not yet been arraigned.
It’s worth noting that Austin’s arrest comes two years after Monica’s Cheer co-star and former student Jerry Harris was sentenced to 12 years in prison in a child pornography case following an FBI investigation. “We categorically dispute the claims made against Jerry Harris, which are alleged to have occurred when he was a teenager,” a spokesperson told Us Weekly after Jerry’s arrest in 2020. “We are confident that when the investigation is completed the true facts will be revealed.”
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Jerry pleaded not guilty to four counts of sexual exploitation of children, a count of travel with the intent to engage in an illicit sexual contact with a minor, a count of receipt of child pornography, and a count of enticement. He later changed his plea to guilty in two of the sexual misconduct charges and was sentenced in July of 2022. After his one dozen years in federal prison, he will be expected to participate in eight years of court-supervised release, according to assistant U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Illinois Joseph D. Fitzpatrick, per NBC News at the time.
News of Austin’s legal trouble also comes just over a month after Monica announced her retirement from cheerleading. “I always knew that my time coaching would eventually come to an end, and I would pursue other opportunities,” Monica wrote in part via Instagram on December 3. “I have prayed a lot about what direction God was leading me in, and it was that prayer that I felt the tug that God was pushing me into a different role and different purpose.”
“I know that I can still help effectuate changes that we need in the world, and certainly in the sport of cheerleading,” the reality star continued in the lengthy message. “I felt His calling and I knew the timing was right for this to be my last season coaching. He has big plans for me, and I will faithfully follow where He is leading me.”
Monica herself had previously been accused in a lawsuit of covering up the alleged sexual assault of one of her cheerleaders — a charge she called “wildly inaccurate.” The case was dismissed, though Monica was suspended by USA Gymnastics for six months.
