Drake Bell Sentenced For Attempted Child Endangerment

CLEVELAND — Drake Bell was sentenced to 2 years of probation by a Cuyahoga County Common Pleas judge.

Bell, 34, previously pleaded guilty to attempted endangering of a child, a fourth-degree felony, and disseminating matter harmful to juveniles, a first-degree felony. He could have been sentenced to 2 years in prison, but instead received probation after striking a deal with prosecutors, People Magazine reported.

“I accept this plea because my conduct was wrong,” Bell said. “I'm sorry the victim was harmed. It was not my intention.”

Bell is an actor best known for his role in the Nickelodeon sitcom "Drake and Josh." He played the title character of Drake. He has also spent time touring as a musician.

The incident at the heart of the charges took place Dec. 1 and 2 in 2017, according to court and police records. Bell was scheduled to play a concert at the Odeon that month and began a relationship with a teenage girl on social media at that time, court records said.

Bell's victim, referred to only as S.G. in court records, appeared Monday and asked Judge Timothy McCormick to give Bell the maximum punishment allowable by law, WKYC reported. She indicated Bell had actually groomed her since she was 12. The woman said in court that she and Bell exchanged explicit photos online and that he engaged in sexual conduct with her on several occasions, including at the Odeon and a hotel.

Bell's attorney, Ian Friedman, disputed those claims on Monday. He said there were no explicit photos or sexual contact between Bell and the victim and the inappropriate conduct that did occur were reflected in the charges Bell pleaded to last month.

"Jared Drake Bell is a pedophile, that is his legacy," Bell's victim said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.