Troubled Nickelodeon Star Jared Drake Bell Goes Missing And Endangered in Florida’ Police in Daytona Beach, Florida, have announced that actor and singer Jared Drake Bell, 36, is “considered missing and endangered.” His last known whereabouts were near a high school Wednesday night.
“He should be traveling in a 2022 grey BMW and his last known location is potentially the area of Mainland High School on 4/12/2023 just before 9 p.m.,” the Daytona Beach Police Department wrote in a Facebook post on Thursday.
Troubled Nickelodeon Star Jared Drake Bell Goes Missing And Endangered in Florida
Bell, best known for the Nickelodeon sitcom “Drake & Josh,” pleaded guilty in June 2021 to attempted child endangerment and disseminating matter harmful to juveniles. He appeared before an Ohio court in a remote appearance. Shortly afterwards, he held an online concert while apparently being in the same room as before and wearing what seemed to be the very same shirt.
He was sentenced to probation the following month. That hearing was contentious as the victim made other allegations and called him a “paedophile.” The young woman, identified in court papers as S.G., claimed he sexually abused her but did not rape her because she was menstruating.
READ ALSO: Mark Smith: Man arrested for fatally stabbing Isaiah Collazo on NYC subway over e-brake ‘prank’
Bell was seen mouthing the word “What?”
“Don’t look at me like that,” she told him.
The young woman, who was 19 at the hearing, said they met when she was 12 and that her aunt took her to meet Bell from that age to when she was 15.
She said they had communicated many times online, and that she had confided in him about her struggles with mental health.
“I felt protected and loved by him,” she said.
But those interactions allegedly turned sexual in tone, with a shift arriving when she was 15, she said. According to the accuser, Bell told her she was “hot,” and they exchanged sexual photos. She described him making her engage in sexual activities at a concert in Dec. 1, 2017, and the day after in his hotel room.
Bell’s attitude toward these allegations was crystal clear as he appeared in a remote video feed. He often seemed incredulous, crossing his arms, shaking his head, and voicing denial. The young woman called out his attitude in court as she described an incident when she was 15 and he asked her age.
“He then told me to quote, ‘Hurry up’ [and get older],” she said before referring to him directly: “Don’t smile at me.”
Bell’s attorney Ian Friedman denied the allegations outside the scope of the guilty plea. The actor had pleaded guilty only to attempted child endangerment and disseminating matter harmful to juveniles. Bell accepted responsibility for chats that occurred between him and the victim, the lawyer said.
Friedman construed the “hurry up” exchange as showing his client’s intent not to engage with a minor.
READ ARTICLE: E. Jean Carroll first defamation case survives Trump appeal
“However, those [sexual] chats, harmful as they were, clearly harmed this person at that time,” Friedman said in court. “They certainly, however, your honor, did not mimic any of the factual scenarios that the victim has brought up here today.”
Bell delivered a brief statement at the hearing. Friedman said he advised his client to keep it short because of the possibility of civil litigation.
“Your honor, I just want to say today that I accept this plea because my conduct was wrong,” Bell said. “I’m sorry that the victim was harmed in any way, that that was obviously not my intention. I have taken this matter very, very seriously, and again, I just want to apologize to her and anyone else who may have been affected by my actions.”
Have a tip we should know? [email protected]
