“Cheer” star Monica Aldama’s son, Austin, has been arrested on child pornography charges, Pvnew has /confirm/ied.
Austin was cuffed and booked on Jan. 18, 2024, in Navarro County, Texas, on an open warrant for his arrest.
The record references a grand jury indictment against him with 10 counts of possession of child pornography.
Austin, 27, was released on bond and but with certain conditions attached.
The son of the famous cheerleading coach must submit to random drug testing and voluntary searches of his electronic devices.
He’s also prohibited from viewing pornographic images.
Prosecutors claim in court documents that they have several videos with file names describing children, who are under the age of 10, engaging in sexual acts.
Lawyers for Austin told Pvnew in a statement Monday that their client is innocent.
“The charges against him lack legal merit, and we are confident that the facts, which will prove his innocence, will come to light during the legal proceedings.”
His lawyers also slammed the “media scrutiny” surrounding their client due to the fame of his mother.
“The shameless exploitation of celebrity connections is nothing short of a witch hunt, and it’s time to respect the principles of our criminal justice system. Criminal allegations, and knee-jerk reactions to them, can have detrimental consequences to the lives involved, and we call on the media and the public to refrain from premature judgments while respecting the privacy of Austin and his family.”
They concluded their statement by vowing to “seek justice” for their client.
TMZ was the first to break the news.
A rep for Monica did not immediately return our request for comment.
This is the second scandal to rock Netflix’s “Cheer.” Once-beloved Jerry Harris was also arrested on child pornography charges and ultimately was convicted in his case.
He was sentenced to serve 12 years back in 2022.
At the time, the head coach said she was “shattered” by Harris’ crimes.
“I am devastated by this shocking, unexpected news,” she said in a statement. “Our children must be protected from abuse and exploitation, and I’m praying hard for the victims and everyone affected.
In April 2023, Monica was sued for allegedly covering up a former student’s sexual assault.
Cheerleader Madi Lane claimed in court docs that she was sexually assaulted by teammate Salvatore “Salvo” Amico during her first semester at Navarro College in Corsicana, Texas, in 2021.
Lane claimed Monica told her to “not make this a big deal” and when Lane quit the team a week later, she alleged the coach told her to “keep quiet” if she wanted to continue to cheer in college.
Monica denied the claims made against her, saying she was “heartbroken by the false allegations.” A rep for Navarro College also denied Lane’s claims.
The lawsuit was dismissed in November 2023.
She said in a lengthy statement at the time that she was relieved, but was also “consumed by sadness and anger” because of how long USA Cheer took to clear her name.
