Drake Bell Has Pleaded Guilty To Felony Child Endangerment

Questions about why the former child actor changed his plea from not guilty "will be answered at sentencing," his attorney said.

Jared "Drake" Bell, who starred in Nickelodeon's Drake and Josh, pleaded guilty Wednesday to endangering a child in Ohio after initially entering a not guilty plea earlier this month.

During a virtual court appearance, the 34-year-old pleaded guilty to attempted endangerment of a child, a felony, and a misdemeanor charge of disseminating matter harmful to juveniles.

"If you plead guilty, you understand that is an admission by you that you did these crimes?" Judge Timothy McCormick said.

Bell's attorney, Ian Friedman, told BuzzFeed News in a statement that "all questions about this case will be answered at sentencing, including why Mr. Bell chose to enter his plea."

The charges stem from an interaction between Bell and a 15-year-old at a Cleveland nightclub in 2017, a spokesperson for Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Michael O’Malley previously told BuzzFeed News.

The case was brought to Cleveland police after the teenager filed a complaint in Canada in 2018.

A police investigation found that the 15-year-old girl and Bell had established a relationship years prior, and that she had attended his concert in December 2017.

It was at that concert, according to prosecutors, that Bell allegedly "violated his duty of care and, in doing so, created a risk of harm to the victim." The investigation also found that Bell allegedly sent her "inappropriate social media messages" in the months leading up to the event.

Bell is scheduled to be sentenced on July 12.

As a child actor, Bell was best known for starring in Drake and Josh and Nickelodeon's The Amanda Show. He later launched a music career.


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