Drake Bell, the former Nickelodeon star of “Drake & Josh,” pleaded guilty to Wednesday’s charges relating to a girl she met online and who attended one of his concerts at Cleveland in 2017. She was 15.
Jared “Drake”, 34, from West Hollywood, California, pleaded guilty to Zoom to felony child endangerment. The sentencing hearing is set for July 12, in Cleveland.
Ian Friedman, defense attorney, said Wednesday that he couldn’t comment on the case but stated it would be revealed at sentencing “Why Mr. Bell chose today’s plea.”
Bell initially pleaded not guilty earlier this month to the charges. Tyler Sinclair, spokesperson for Cuyahoga County Prosecutor’s Office said that the girl had contacted Toronto police in Oct 2018. The Toronto police contacted Cleveland police to initiate an investigation.
Sinclair stated that the attempted endangering children case relates to the concert where Bell “violated [his duty of care]” and created a danger to the victim. Sinclair did not elaborate.
Sinclair stated that Bell and the girl had “developed an online relationship” several years before the concert. Sinclair stated that the disseminating hazardous material charge stems from Bell sending inappropriate social media messages to the girl.
Bell is also a singer and began acting as a child. However, he was able to rise to stardom with Nickelodeon’s Amanda Show and later Drake & Josh, which premiered on the channel in January 2004. The last episode aired on September 2007. Bell and Josh Beck, Bell’s co-star, starred in two “Drake & Josh” movies.
