Drake Bell was once famous for acting in Nickelodeon’s Drake & Josh, but now he is facing some serious charges.
An Ohio judge sentenced Bell to one year of probation and two hundred hours of community service on Monday after pleading guilty to charges of attempted child endangerment and disseminating matter harmful to juveniles.
The incident took place in 2017 at a Cleveland nightclub. The 19-year-old victim, who was 15 at the time, claims that she engaged in sexual text messages with the actor. The victim met Bell at 12-years-old through her aunt.
“He was a hero to me,” she said in court via videoconference. “He was such a huge part of my childhood, and in return, he ruined my life….”
The victim called Bell a “pedophile,” alleging that he sexually assaulted her twice.
These claims have been denied by Bell’s attorney, Ian Friedman. Bell, through his attorney, only admits to the inappropriate text messages, not the sexual assault.
“His conduct was not correct, it was not proper,” Friedman said. “But I have to be very clear. What the victim is claiming to have occurred here — not only am I saying that it did not happen, not only would Mr. Bell say that that did not happen, but the evidence, in this case, would suggest that it did not happen,” he adds.
Bell also spoke in the court appearance. “I accept this plea because my conduct was wrong,” he said. “I’m sorry that the victim was harmed in any way, but that was obviously not my intention.”
Bell’s probation will be administered in his home state of California, and his sex offender status is pending, to be decided by a court there. How do you feel about this ongoing case? Let us know by leaving a reaction below or by sending us a tweet @Celebsecrets.
