Drake Bell, the star of 'Drake and Josh' sentenced to 2 years probation on Child Endangerment charges

BreaknLinks

Los Angeles
Drake Bell has been sentenced to two years of probation to charges relating to a teenager whom he met online and who attended one of his 2017 concerts in Cleveland when she was 15 (Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP, file)

On allegations of child endangerment, Drake Bell, the former star of Drake and Josh, was sentenced to two years of probation.

The 35-year-old admitted to charges stemming from a girl who met him online and accused him of sexual contact after attending one of his concerts when she was 15 years old.

Bell, of West Hollywood, California, also guilty of a misdemeanor charge of transmitting harmful information to children.

Bell will serve probation and 200 hours of community service in California, according to Cuyahoga County Judge Timothy McCormick.

Before the sentencing, Bell spoke briefly through Zoom.

He stated, "I accept this plea because my conduct was wrong." “I apologize for the victim's suffering. It wasn't my intention in the first place.”

Bell began grooming the girl, who is now 19, when she was 12 years old, according to the victim, who spoke at length about the harm he has caused her life.

She claimed that during online discussions, he made her feel loved and protected at first, but that once she reached 15, his comments became "blatantly sexual."

She said that his comments bothered her, but she felt bound because she had "idolized" Bell.

“I was definitely one of his biggest fans,” the woman stated, allowing her picture to be taken and posted on Zoom. “I would have gone to any length to help him.”

The lady said that she and Bell exchanged obscene images online and that he sexually assaulted her on many occasions, including at a Cleveland performance venue and a hotel.

Bell was also referred to as a "pedophile" and a "coward" by her.

On Monday, Bell's lawyer, Ian Friedman, refuted those assertions.

He claimed that there were no graphic images or sexual contact between Bell and the victim and that the inappropriate behavior that did occur was detailed in the charges Bell pleaded to last month.

Mr. Friedman did not go into detail about the inappropriate behavior Bell admitted to.

Before handing down Bell's sentence, Mr. McCormick stated that he heard "a lot of serious and disturbing allegations" during Monday's hearing, but that he "can't lose focus on what was pled to."

“The truth is, your position and celebrity status has allowed you to nurture this relationship,” he explained. “You were successful in obtaining access to this child.”

Publish : 2021-07-13 09:48:00

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