Photo: Cuyahoga County Jail
Drake Bell has pleaded guilty to attempted child endangerment charges.
Bell, 34, appeared in court via Zoom on Wednesday (June 23). The former “Drake & Josh” actor, born Jared Bell, entered a guilty plea to attempted endangering children and disseminating matter harmful to juveniles, a fourth-degree felony and first-degree misdemeanor, respectively, TMZ reports. The judge said Bell could serve up to 18 months in prison.
Initially, Bell pleaded not guilty. The switch reportedly comes after reaching a plea agreement, according to PEOPLE.
Charges stem from an incident in Cleveland, Ohio, dating back to December 1, 2017. Bell was in town performing a concert on that date. That’s when Bell allegedly had an inappropriate and sexual conversation with a then-15-year-old, who reported the incident to her local police department in Canada nearly a year later. Police in Canada then relayed the allegations to the Cleveland Division of Police, which investigated Bell, according to previous reports.
Bell’s sentencing is set for July 12. The victim will have an opportunity to make a victim impact statement at that time, Fox 8 reports.
Bell’s attorney, Ian Friedman, told PEOPLE on Wednesday: "All questions about this case will be answered at sentencing, including why Mr. Bell chose to enter his plea."