Former Nickelodeon star Drake Bell pleads guilty to attempted child endangerment
Nickelodeon's Drake Bell has pleaded guilty to child endangerment charges, and he's facing up to two years behind bars.
The actor, known for starring on the Nickelodeon shows Drake & Josh and The Amanda Show, during a hearing Wednesday pleaded guilty to felony attempted child endangerment, as well as a misdemeanor charge of disseminating matter harmful to juveniles, The Associated Press reports. He initially pleaded not guilty.
The Cuyahoga County Prosecutor's Office previously alleged that Bell developed a relationship online with a girl who attended his concert in December 2017 when she was 15, and "while there, Bell violated his duty of care and, in doing so, created a risk of harm to the victim." Bell was also accused of having sent "inappropriate social media messages" to the girl. She reportedly filed a police report in Canada, and officials then contacted authorities in Cleveland, according to Deadline.
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Bell, Deadline also reports, could receive up to 18 months in prison for the felony charge, as well as up to six months in county jail for the misdemeanor. The actor's attorney promised that "all questions about this case will be answered at sentencing, including why Mr. Bell chose to enter his plea." The sentencing is set for July 12.
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Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.
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