Drake Bell pleaded guilty to felony attempted child endangerment and a misdemeanor charge of disseminating matter harmful to juveniles today. The former child star of Drake & Josh could be facing some serious consequences, though the details of his alleged crimes are still coming to light. Thanks to his appearance in court, however, more of these murky details are emerging to paint a clearer picture for why the star was arrested in the first place.
Drake Bell Pleads Guilty To Multiple Charges
Though Drake Bell initially pleaded not guilty to the charges earlier this month, he has now changed his tune. The actor-turned-singer, who rose to fame after appearing on the Nickelodeon kids variety show The Amanda Show starring Amanda Bynes, pleaded guilty to two charges during a Zoom court appearance earlier today.
The judge confirmed Bell’s plea with him, stating during the proceedings, “My understanding is there’s been a plea agreement reached where the defendant will plead guilty to count one attempted endangering children, a felony in the fourth degree [and] plead guilty to count two: disseminating matter harmful to juveniles, a misdemeanor the first degree.”
How Long Might Bell Be Imprisoned?
The judge then informed Bell that the charges carry a sentence that ranges from between six and 18 months in prison or even simply probation depending on what the judge decides. “However,” the judge continued, “if you go to prison, upon your release, you could be subjected to a discretionary period of three years post-release control. Post-release control could involve restrictions on your activities.”
Bell was also asked if he understood that his guilty plea was “an admission by you that you did these crimes?” Bell simply answered, “Yes, Your Honor.” He is scheduled to be sentenced on July 12 in Cleveland, Ohio, which is where the alleged crimes took place and where Bell was arrested years later. According to Tyler Sinclair, a spokesperson for the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor’s Office, the alleged victim contacted Toronto police in 2018 about an incident that occurred between herself and Bell in 2017 at his performance in Cleveland.
At the time, she was only 15 years old and had already been in contact with Bell for several years at that point. He allegedly sent her “inappropriate social media messages,” Sinclair further claimed. At the concert in question, Sinclair said Bell “violated his duty of care,” which is what resulted in the attempted child endangerment charge, but wouldn’t give any further details. Gossip Cop will be monitoring this ongoing story.
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