Jared Drake Bell, who played Drake in the Nickelodeon TV show “Drake and Josh,” is facing charges of disseminating matter harmful to juveniles and attempted endangering children.
He reportedly engaged in an inappropriate conversation with the 15-year-old victim back in 2017. The chat, which was allegedly sexual at times, occurred in Cleveland leading up to a concert Bell was performing at.
The two had a connection several years prior to the reported incident, according to the girl.
During the concert, Bell "violated his duty of care and, in doing so, created a risk of harm to the victim,” the Prosecutor’s Office said.
The victim filed a report with her local police department in Canada in 2018 about the incident with Bell, Fox 8 News reported. Canadian authorities then contacted Cleveland police, who conducted an investigation.
Bell appeared in Cuyahoga County court Thursday, when he plead not guilty and was released on a $2,500 personal bond. Bell agreed not to contact the alleged victim of the case.
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He is expected to enter a plea of no contest or guilty to the bill of information.
Ian Friedman, a spokesperson for Bell's attorney, confirmed the charges and said that "all the facts will be revealed in the courtroom."
Attempted endangering children is a fourth-degree felony and disseminating matter harmful to juveniles is a first-degree misdemeanor, officials said.
Bell was previously accused of physical and verbal abuse by his ex-girlfriend, Melissa Lingafelt, allegations that he has since denied. In 2015, he was arrested for driving under the influence in the state of California.
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