A star of the Nickelodeon children’s show “Drake and Josh” faces criminal charges for a girl he met online who attended his 2017 concert in Ohio when she was 15 years old.
Jared “Drake” Bell, 34, asked Thursday to be acquitted in a Cleveland court on charges of attempted endangerment of children and misdemeanor spreading substances harmful to teens.
“All the facts will be revealed in court,” Bell’s attorney Ian Friedman said Friday, declining to comment further.
Bell is in charge of providing information, which generally indicates a plea deal has been reached. He plans to appear in court. Cuyahoga County Attorney Michael O’Malley spokesperson Tyler Sinclair said the girl filed a complaint with Canadian police in October 2018. The police contacted the Cleveland police to prompt an investigation. Sinclair said that the allegations of attempting to endanger children were related to the concert, and Bell “violated his duty of care” at the concert and posed a risk of harm to the victim. He did not elaborate. Sinclair said that Bell and the girl “established a relationship” online years before the concert. Sinclair said allegations of distributing harmful materials involved Bell sending “inappropriate messages on social media” to the girls.
Bell is also a singer who has acted since childhood, but became a star on Nickelodeon’s “The Amanda Show” and later on “Drake & Josh,” which debuted on the channel in January 2004. It aired in September 2007. Bell and his co-star Josh Baker also starred in two “Drake and Josh” movies.
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