Jared “Drake” Bell was spotted in public for the first time after pleading guilty towards child endangerment charges that are related to a girl he met online who was 15 at the time.
The star was popular during his time on the show, Drake & Josh, and is seen celebrating his 35th birthday in Anaheim over the weekend. He was not alone on this trip, and has been spotted with a mysterious girl while pushing a baby stroller along the way.
There is no clear connection between him, the woman, and the baby, but the public seems to assume that they are close by the way he cradles the young baby.
Pictures capture him holding the baby in a careful and gentle manner. He even dressed up the part as Disneyland, sporting a pair of red, black, and yellow Vans that are made to dress up as the famous character, Mickey Mouse.
He has pleaded guilty on Zoom for a felony of attempted child endangerment and the sentence is going to apply this upcoming July 12th. His defense attorney, Ian Friedman, said that he could not comment on the case but will reveal why he chose to enter Bell’s plea.
At first, Bell was not guilty at first but then accepted a plea deal before the court appearance that charged him as guilty.
The judge states that their understanding is that there has been a “plea agreement reached where the defendant will plead guilty to count one attempted endangering children, a felony in the fourth degree [and] plead guilty to count two: disseminating matter harmful to juveniles, a misdemeanor the first degree”.
After the result, he carries a sentence of up to 18 months in prison alongside a fine up to $5,000, but prison time is not mandatory. For the second charge, he can be in jail for up to six months or charged up to $1,000.
The judge then asked if he understands the potential penalties, and Bell responds with “I do, Your Honor. Yes.” He is asked again if he understands that this results in an admission by Bell that he did execute the crimes. He responds once more, saying “Yes, Your Honor”.
Details reveal that he had “developed a relationship” with the girl online and had sent her “inappropriate social media messages” while she was underaged.