Drake Bell: Former Nickelodeon ‘Drake & Josh’ child star charged with crimes against children
A former Nickelodeon child star, now 34 and now singing for a living, has been criminally charged with attempted endangering children, a felony, plus a misdemeanor charge of disseminating matter harmful to children. Drake Bell, aka Jared Drake Bell, half of the popular TV show ‘Drake & Josh’ that ran on Nickelodeon from 2004 through 2007, pleaded not guilty to those charges in an Ohio courtroom on June 3. The charges levied against the singer revolve around a “girl he met online who attended a 2017 concert of his in Ohio when she was 15,” according to The Los Angeles Times.
Reportedly, the girl filed a formal complaint against Bell back in 2018 which initiated an investigation into his alleged wrongdoing. Tyler Sinclair, spokesperson for Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Michael O’Malley, said:
The charge of attempted endangering children relates to the concert where Bell “violated his duty of care” and created a risk of harm to the victim. Bell and the girl had “developed a relationship” online several years before the concert, Sinclair said. The disseminating harmful material charge concerns Bell having sent the girl “inappropriate social media messages,” Sinclair said.
Ian Friedman, the attorney representing Bell in this case, confirmed the charges against his client and said that “all the facts will be revealed in the courtroom.” After entering his plea of not guilty, Bell was released from police custody after posting a $2,500 bond.
Bell rose to fame in the early ’00s with parts in the Nickelodeon comedy sketch show The Amanda Show starring Amanda Bynes and later, the sitcom Drake & Josh, which also starred Josh Peck from the previous series, as well as Miranda Cosgrove. The latter show aired from 2004 to 2007 and spurred three spinoff TV movies. ~ MSN
For more on the life and times of Drake Bell, see the video accompanying this article.
(Cover image, Drake Bell Booking photo, Image credit: Cuyahoga Sheriff’s Office)
Posted by Richard Webster, Ace News Today / Follow Richard on Facebook and Twitter
