Texas ‘Cheer’ star Monica Aldama’s son charged with child pornography

Texas Netflix star Monica Aldama’s son was arrested and charged with child pornography. Austin Aldama, 27, was charged with 10 counts of child pornography in Navarro County in Texas, according to court records pulled from PEOPLE.

Austin was arrested and booked on Thursday, January 18, according to court records. He was released on bond without having to pay the $20,000 bond set for each count, according to PEOPLE. Officials told the magazine that Austin was released on a personal recognizance bond, which allows a defendant to be released without posting the bond amount under certain conditions.

Monica is known for being the coach of the Navarro College cheer team, which was featured on the Netflix series, Cheer. She also grew in popularity after appearing on the 29th season of Dancing with the Stars. Monica retired from coaching the Navarro cheer team in December 2023.

Austin’s arrest comes after fellow Cheer alum Jerry Harris was sentenced to 12 years in prison for child pornography charges in 2022. At the time, Monica said she felt “heartbroken” over Harris’ sentence. 

Austin’s legal team emailed a statement to the Cut on Tuesday, January 23, claiming he is innocent. The legal team stated Austin’s case has been drawn by the celebrity status of his mother, calling it an “egregious attempt to distort the truth.”

“Let us be absolutely clear – Austin is innocent,” the legal team stated. “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.”