As we've seen on many occasions, celebrities can face their fair share of issues over the course of their careers. While some stars in Hollywood have been in hot water due to social issues, others have actually had trouble with the law. Drake Bell, who rose to stardom through his role on Nickelodeon sitcom Drake & Josh, has been on the receiving end of a lengthy court case in which he was facing multiple charges, including attempted child endangerment and disseminating matter harmful to juveniles. Now, the Amanda Show star has been sentenced after pleading guilty to the charges.
Ahead of his sentencing, Jared Drake Bell was facing the possibility of serving over a year of jail time for the child endangerment charges alone but, now, it looks like he won't be serving any actual time in prison. According to NBC News, a judge in Ohio sentenced the 35-year-old Bell to two years of probation, and he must also complete 200 hours of community service. In addition, Bell must have zero contact with the victim, though it is unclear what the repercussions would be if he violates this order. He will also not be required to register as a sex offender. During the hearing, Bell issued a statement:
Today I accept this plea because my conduct was wrong. I’m sorry that the victim was harmed in any way — that was obviously not my intention. I have taken this matter very, very seriously, and again I just want to apologize to her and anyone else who may have been affected by my actions.
Drake Bell, who has faced allegations before, was served with these charges by a young woman who attended one of the actor and musician's concerts back in 2017. The alleged 19-year-old victim, who was 15 years old at the time, filed a complaint in Canada in 2018, which then turned into a police investigation in Ohio, the location of said concert.
According to the victim, Drake Bell "groomed" her starting when she was 12 years old. She also claimed that once she turned 15, the star allegedly started sending her sexually explicit messages. During the hearing, she also said:
My life hasn’t been the same since I was 15. I think about these crimes every single day. I feel like I’m in a constant dark place. Sometimes I wish I could disappear so I can forget about what happened.
The young woman in question was a self-proclaimed super fan of Drake & Josh and considered herself to be one of Drake Bell’s “biggest fans." She also claimed that at one point, she would have done anything for the star and later referred to Bell as a “pedophile” and a “coward.”
Drake Bell has kept a relatively low profile since his days on Nickelodeon ended, as he's focused more on his music career than on acting. In the midst of this legal situation, details about his personal life have come to light, though. The biggest revelation is probably that he's been married since 2018 and has a son.
