Drake Bell charged with crime against minor, pleads not guilty

Drake Bell. Pic/AFP

Hollywood actor Drake Bell, who played the role of Drake in the hit Nickelodeon series 'Drake and Josh', has been charged with attempted endangering children and disseminating matter harmful to juveniles.

Variety reported that according to court documents, Cleveland Police arrested Bell, who pleaded not guilty in Cuyahoga County Court on June 3. Bell, whose real name is Jared Drake Bell, was freed on a USD 2,500 personal bond ordering him to have no contact with his alleged victim.

According to a news outlet in Cleveland, Bell allegedly engaged in an inappropriate chat with a minor that "at times, was sexual in nature."

The alleged incident reportedly happened on December 1, 2017, the same day Bell was scheduled to perform at a Cleveland club, The Odeon. However, Bell was not indicted until last month, and he is due back in court on June 23.

Bell's mugshot taken at Cuyahoga County Jail is dated Thursday, June 3, just before 3 pm. He was asked to submit DNA, which is a standard practice in Ohio. In 2015, Bell was arrested for a DUI with a bail set at USD 20,000. In that case, he pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor and spent four days in jail.

'Drake and Josh', followed the story of stepbrothers Drake Parker (Bell) and Josh Nichols (Josh Peck). It debuted in 2004 and ran for four seasons, ending in 2017. The show also spawned three TV movies and was one of Nickelodeon's highest-rated programs, averaging about 3 million viewers at the time.

Bell had performed the show's opening theme song, 'I Found a Way', and has also released several albums throughout his career, including 2005's 'Telegraph', 2006's 'It's Only Time', 2014's 'Ready Steady Go!' and 2020's 'Sesiones En Casa'.

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