'Drake and Josh" Star Pleads Guilty To Attempted Endangering of Children

Parker Published On Sat Jun 26 2021 Modified On Wed Apr 12 2023

"Drake & Josh" Star Drake Bell Pleads Guilty To Attempted Endangering of Children.

The former star of the popular Nickelodeon show "Drake & Josh," Drake Bell, pleaded guilty on Wednesday to charges relating to a girl who met him online and attended one of his concerts in Cleveland in 2017 when she was 15, as noted by NBC News.

Bell, whose legal name is Jared "Drake" Bell, 34, pleaded guilty via Zoom to felony attempted child endangered and a misdemeanor charge of disseminating matter harmful to juveniles. His sentencing is scheduled for July 12 in Cleveland.

Drake Bell pleads guilty to attempted endangering of children.
Photo Source: Instagram

According to the Defense attorney Ian Friedman, Mr. Bell will reveal why he chose to enter a plea. However, Bell had initially pleaded not guilty to the charged earlier this month.

Tyler Sinclair, a spokesperson for the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor's Office, said at the time that the girl contacted Toronto police in October 2018. Toronto authorities then contacted Cleveland police, prompting an investigation.

As per Sinclair, the attempted endangering children's charge relates to the concert where Bell "violated his duty of care" and created a risk of harm to the victim. Bell could receive a prison sentence of up to 18 months for the felony charge, with a fine as high as $5,000. The misdemeanor charge carries up to six months in country jail and a fine of up to $1,000.

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Sinclair said Bell and the girl had "developed a relationship" online several years before the concert. The disseminating harmful material charge concerns Bell having sent the girl "inappropriate social media messages."

Drake, a singer, began acting as a child and was catapulted to stardom as a teen with Nickelodeon's "The Amanda Show" and later "Drake & Josh," which debuted on the channel in 2004. The final episode aired in September 2007. Bell and co-star Josh Beck also starred in two "Drake & Josh" movies.