"The fact of the matter is your position and celebrity status let you nurture this relationship," Judge McCormick said. It was not my intention."īefore delivering Bell's sentence, Judge Timothy McCormick said he heard "a lot of serious and disturbing allegations" during the hearing, but added that he "can't lose focus on what was pled to". "I accept this plea because my conduct was wrong," Bell told the court via Zoom. Prosecutors have previously said those charges relate to Bell breaching his duty of care and sending inappropriate messages to the girl. Bell used 'celebrity status' to access girl: Judgeīell pleaded guilty to felony attempted child endangerment and a misdemeanour charge of disseminating matter harmful to juveniles. Those allegations have not been tested in court. She also called Bell a “paedophile” and a “coward”.īut some of her claims claims were disputed by Bell's lawyer, Ian Friedman, who said there were no explicit photos or sexual contact.
The woman said she and Bell exchanged explicit photos online and he engaged in sexual conduct with her on several occasions while she was underage, including at a concert venue in Cleveland and at a hotel. She said he began grooming her when she was 12 and she initially felt loved and protected by him.īut she said their online chats became "blatantly sexual" after after she turned 15, which made her feel uncomfortable and trapped because she "idolised" Bell. He was sentenced to two years' probation and 200 hours of community service in an Ohio court.īefore the sentence was handed down, the woman, who is now 19, spoke at length about the damage Bell had done to her life. The 35-year-old actor and singer pleaded guilty to charges of attempted child endangerment and disseminating matter harmful to juveniles after the victim went to police in 2018.