Actor Could Get Prison After Guilty Pleas

A Nickelodeon star charged with child endangerment has reached a plea deal. Drake Bell pleaded guilty in a virtual court appearance Wednesday to two charges: attempted child endangerment and disseminating material harmful to juveniles. The Drake & Josh actor, 34, was arrested and charged this month in Cleveland, People reports. The endangerment count is a fourth-degree felony that could result in a six- to 18-month prison sentence, the judge told Bell, and the other is a first-degree misdemeanor that carries a possible six-month jail term.

If he serves a prison sentence, the judge told Bell, he could go back behind bars if he violates the terms of his release. Prosecutors said the case involves a girl who met Drake online, then went to his concert in Cleveland in 2017. She was 15 at the time, per NBC. In a statement to People on Wednesday, Bell's lawyer, Ian Friedman, said, "All questions about this case will be answered at sentencing, including why Mr. Bell chose to enter his plea." The judge told Bell that the girl is entitled to read a victim statement at sentencing, which is scheduled for July 12. (More Drake Bell stories.)