Drake Bell, the former star of the Nickelodeon show “Drake & Josh,” was sentenced to two years of probation on child endangerment charges in Cleveland on Monday. The charges stemmed from a girl who met him online and accused him of sexual contact after attending his concert when she was 15 years old.
Jared “Drake” Bell, 35, of West Hollywood, California, pled guilty to felony attempted child endangerment and a misdemeanor charge of spreading material harmful to minors via Zoom last month. Bell will serve probation and 200 hours of community service in California, according to Cuyahoga County Judge Timothy McCormick. Before the sentencing, Bell spoke briefly through Zoom. He remarked, “I accept this plea because my behavior was improper. I apologize for the victim’s suffering. It wasn’t my intention in the first place.”
Bell began grooming the girl, who is now 19, when she was 12 years old, according to the victim, who spoke at length about the harm he has caused her life. She claimed that during online discussions, he made her feel loved and protected at first, but that once she reached 15, his comments became “blatantly sexual.” She said that his comments bothered her, but she felt bound because she had “idolized” Bell.
“I was absolutely one of his biggest fans,” she stated, allowing her picture to be taken and posted on Zoom. “I would have gone to any length to help him.” Unless someone chooses to come forward publicly, the Associated Press does not identify persons who claim to have been sexually abused. The lady said that she and Bell exchanged obscene images online and that he sexually assaulted her on many occasions, including at a Cleveland performance venue and a hotel. She also referred to Bell as a “pedophile” and a “coward”.
On Monday, Bell’s lawyer, Ian Friedman, refuted those assertions. He claimed that there were no graphic images or sexual contact between Bell and the victim, and that the inappropriate behavior that did occur was detailed in the charges Bell pleaded to last month. Friedman didn’t go into detail about the inappropriate behavior Bell admitted to.
According to Friedman, the victim went to nine of Bell’s concerts following the one in Cleveland. Three fingers were raised in response by the woman. “Because of his position, Mr. Bell has already paid a higher penalty than others would,” Friedman said. The victim called Toronto police in October 2018, according to authorities. The findings were subsequently sent to Cleveland police, who launched an investigation.