Drake Bell pleads guilty to endangering a minor

(CNN) – Actor Drake Bell, known for the Nickelodeon comedy “Drake & Josh,” pleaded guilty Wednesday to charges of attempting to endanger a minor and of distributing material harmful to minors, according to the County Attorney’s Office. from Cuyahoga in Ohio.

Bell had previously pleaded not guilty. The charges stemmed from incidents that occurred in Cleveland in 2017, court records show.

“All questions will be answered at sentencing, including why Mr. Bell chose to plead guilty today,” Bell’s attorney, Ian N. Friedman, told CNN in a statement Wednesday.

According to an earlier statement from prosecutors, a 15-year-old victim filed a report with the local Canadian police department in 2018 about an incident that allegedly occurred between her and Bell the previous year at a Cleveland nightclub.

Canadian authorities contacted the Cleveland Police Division, which they investigated, the statement said. That investigation revealed that the victim, who had established a relationship with Bell several years earlier, attended his concert in December 2017. While at the concert, Bell “violated his duty of care and by doing so created a risk of harm. the victim, “said the prosecution. The investigation also revealed that in the months leading up to the concert, Bell had sent the victim inappropriate messages on social media.

Bell’s sentencing was set for July 12, prosecutors said.