Nickelodeon star Drake Bell was sentenced on Monday in Ohio to two years of probation for having an illegal relationship with a 15-year-old girl in 2017.
Bell, 34, was also ordered to complete 200 hours of community service and muust register as a sex offender. He is also barred from having any contact with the victim.
Arrested in early June, Bell pleaded guilty late last month to attempted child endangerment and disseminating matter harmful to juveniles. Bell — and his accuser — appeared in court on Monday via Zoom.
Bell and the victim had an established relationship for several years before the reported December 2017 incident. The illicit incident occurred the same day Bell was scheduled to perform at The Odeon Concert Club in Cleveland. The victim filed a report with Canadian police in October 2018.
The child endangerment charge — which is a fourth-degree felony — is connected to the incident at the 2017 concert in Cleveland. The disseminating matter harmful to juveniles charge stems from the messages Bell sent the victim.
Prosecutors said in the months leading up to the December 2017 incident, the actor, whose real name is Jared Bell, sent the victim inappropriate messages via social media. Authorities have not disclosed what those messages contained.
During Bell’s sentencing hearing, the accuser provided a statement in which she called the actor a “pedophile” and claimed he ruined her life. She also stated that he had to undergo costly therapy due to her encounter with Bell.
A live stream provided by WKYC can be viewed below:
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[Featured image: Drake Bell/WKYC]
