Former Nickelodeon star Drake Bell has revealed that he is married and has a son.
The actor and singer announced the news in a statement shortly after pleading guilty to child engagement.
"In response to various rumors that are incorrect, I have been married for almost 3 years, and we are blessed to be the parents of a wonderful son," he wrote in Spanish. The post was translated by People.
"Thank you very much to all my fans around the world for your good wishes," he added.
It is unclear what rumors Bell was referencing, but the statement was posted a day after he was seen with his longtime love Janet Von Schmeling pushing a baby stroller during a visit to Disneyland. This was one of the first times Bell was spotted out after pleading guilty to charges of attempting to endanger children, a fourth-degree felony, and disseminating matter harmful to juveniles, a first-degree misdemeanor.
The actor was arrested earlier this year in connection with a 2017 incident in which he reportedly met up with a then 15-year-old girl after they had engaged in inappropriate social media messages for several months.
A spokesperson for the prosecutor's office told E! News that a police investigation "revealed that the victim, who had established a relationship with Bell several years prior, attended his concert in December 2017. While there, Bell violated his duty of care and, in doing so, created a risk of harm to the victim. The investigation also revealed that months leading up to the concert, Bell sent the victim inappropriate social media messages."
Bell initially pleaded not guilty to the charges but has since agreed to enter a plea deal. During his virtual hearing, which was made available via local ABC affiliate News 5, the judge explained that a charge of attempted endangering children could come with up to 18 months in prison in monthly increments, and/or a fine of up to $5,000. The charge of disseminating matter harmful to juveniles carries a prison sentence of up to six months and/or a fine of $1,000.
"However, if you go to prison, upon your release, you could be subjected to a discretionary period of three years post-release control. Post-release control could involve restrictions on your activities," the judge added. "If you were to violate those restrictions, you can be returned to prison, [for] up to a maximum of one half of your original sentence."
Bell's lawyer, Ian Friedman, said in a statement to People that "all questions about this case will be answered at sentencing, including why Mr. Bell chose to enter his plea."
His sentencing is scheduled for July 12.
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Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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