Actor Drake Bell Sentenced To 2 Years Of Probation On Child Endangerment Charge

Actor Drake Bell was sentenced Monday by an Ohio court to one year of probation after pleading guilty to charges of attempted child endangerment and disseminating matter harmful to juveniles. The incident took place in 2017 and involved a 15-year-old girl in Cleveland.

As part of his plea deal, the former “Drake & Josh” star will avoid jail time and instead receive two years probation and will be required to complete 200 hours of community service.

Bell’s disseminating matter harmful to juveniles charge is a first-degree misdemeanor, while his attempted child endangerment charge is a fourth-degree felony.

Bell, who appeared in a videoconference, listened to the victim read an impact statement that involved details about their encounter. Drake was seen shaking his head several times throughout her declaration.

Tyler Sinclair, the public information officer at the Cuyahoga Prosecutor’s Office, revealed the investigation into the matter found that Bell “violated his duty of care” and “created a risk of harm” to the victim.

The woman, 19, claimed she began talking to Bell online, and their exchanges eventually turned sexually explicit.

She had attended Drake's music concert in Ohio. After the show was over, she claimed Bell took her backstage, and she performed oral sex on him.

Upon accepting his sentence, Bell apologized to the girl and anyone else who may have been impacted by his behavior. He went on to insist that he had no intention to harm anyone but admitted his “conduct was wrong.”

Bell was arrested on June 3. He initially pleaded not guilty for both counts.