Authorities have arrested two male cheerleaders on sex offense charges this week.
According to USA Today, Robert Joseph Scianna, Jr. was arrested in Virginia, and Mitchell Ryan was arrested in Texas.
Scianna, a cheerleader, and choreographer made a brief appearance on Netflix’s controversial show Cheer. On the show’s fourth episode, Scianna is seen with Gabi Butler for a photoshoot for Rebel Athletic.
The 25-year-old was arrested on February 3 after allegedly trying to meet with a minor for sex, the Chesterfield County Police Department reported. He was charged with taking indecent liberties with a minor and using an electronic communication device to solicit sex.
“He likely has a lot of possible contact with juveniles, with underage kids,” CCPD Sgt. Winfred Lewis told USA Today. “Hopefully if there are any more victims out there that for whatever reason, maybe because of his stature, didn’t want to come forward, that they reach out to the police department so we can investigate further.”
He’s being held without bail at the local county jail.
Ryan, 23, was picked up by Coppell Police Department in Dallas County on February 4. He faces a charge for felony aggravated sexual assault of a child but was released on a $50,000 bond on Friday morning.
His charges stem from an incident that occurred on July 24, 2020.
“This has been a nightmare for Mitch and his family,” Ryan’s lawyer Jeremy Rosenthal said in a statement to USA Today. “We look forward to Dallas County hearing the truth and this case being over.”
“Mitch and his family were surprised at his arrest. There are two sides to every story and we are confident Mitch’s name will be cleared,” the lawyer told PEOPLE.
Ryan has a connection to the show but never appeared. He was a member of the Navarro College cheer team that was featured on the show.
Scianna has been suspended from the U.S. All-Star Federation, but Ryan has not. However, the federation has known of the allegations against him since last year.
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