Who is Brian Peck? Ex-Nickelodeon coach convicted of lewd acts with minor back in spotlight

Nickelodeon has been going viral for all the wrong reasons this week following the release of the Investigation Discovery docuseries "Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV."

Released in two parts on Sunday and Monday evening, the tell-all documentary takes viewers behind the scenes of Nickelodeon's golden age, unveiling the allegedly toxic and abusive environment some of the era's biggest child stars say were cultivated behind the scenes by showrunner Dan Schneider and other adults on set.

One of the most talked-about and shocking stories revealed in the doc is that of Drake Bell, former star of the popular show "Drake & Josh." In the third part of the series, Bell details alleged sexual abuse he says he endured at the hands of Brian Peck, a dialogue coach working with Nickelodeon at the time.

Peck was later convicted of lewd acts with a minor and sentenced to 16 months behind bars in 2004. However, he went on to work in the industry, including on other children's television shows, until around 2018 or 2019, when he appears to have stopped working in entertainment.

What allegedly happened behind the scenes of some of Nick's most beloved shows and how was Peck involved? Here's what we know.

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Who is Brian Peck?

Brian Peck is an actor, dialogue coach, narrator and filmmaker from Huntington, Indiana who was involved in the production of various films, shows and video games. Peck served as a dialogue coach on Nickelodeon's "The Amanda Show" and "All That" from the late 1990s to early 2000s.

Along with his work behind the scenes, Peck has also made minor acting appearances on many television shows and movies from the 1980s to the late 2010s, including "X-Men," "Growing Pains," "Boy Meets World," "The Return of the Living Dead" and many more.

Peck has not responded to USA TODAY's requests for comment.

Brian Peck accusations: Drake Bell alleges 'extensive,' 'brutal' sexual abuse by Nickelodeon dialogue coach Brian Peck

What did Drake Bell accuse Brian Peck of?

Drake Bell is former Nickelodeon child star who appeared on the skit series "The Amanda Show" before receiving his own show, "Drake & Josh." He spoke of his alleged experiences with Peck (no relation to his co-star Josh Peck) in the third installment of "Quiet on Set."

In the documentary, Bell said he met Peck when he was brought in as a dialogue coach on the second season of Nickelodeon's "The Amanda Show." They connected because they had similar interests, which Bell now sees as "a little calculated."

Peck soon began integrating himself into Bell's life more and more, Bell said, "driving a wedge" between the young actor and his father. Bell's father said in the documentary that get had expressed concerns about Peck in the past but was dismissed. This culminated in Bell dropping his father as his manager.

In 2001, when Bell was 15, he allegedly woke up on the couch one morning to find Peck sexually assaulting him. "I froze and was in complete shock and had no idea what to do or how to react," he said. "I have no idea how to get out of the situation."

Bell says that Peck was later apologetic and told him it would "never happen again." But Bell said that the abuse continued to get worse over time.

"The abuse was extensive, and it got pretty brutal," he said. "I really don't know how to elaborate on that on camera. Why don't you do this: Why don't you think of the worst stuff that someone could do to somebody as a sexual assault, and that will answer your question. It was not a one-time thing."

Bell said he was afraid to speak up at the time due to Peck's powerful industry connections, believing it would ruin his career in acting. In 2003, he said, it was his girlfriend's mother who noticed something was wrong, leading Bell to finally disclose the abuse to his own mother.

Police were called and an investigation ensued, during which Bell said he even called Peck and got him to confess to the alleged abuse on tape. Even so, Bell said, he was shocked to see Peck's "entire side of the courtroom was full" of supporters when he was sentenced in 2004 for lewd acts with a minor stemming from Bell's accusations.

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What was Brian Peck charged with?

Peck was originally arrested on a charge of lewd acts with a minor in 2003. He later faced 11 total charges related to the alleged abuse. In 2004, Peck was sentenced to 16 months in prison and ordered to register as a sex offender.

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What shows did Brian Peck work on?

Peck had a career before working in children's television and even continued to work in the kids' TV space after his conviction.

His list of credits is long, dating back to 1982's "The Last American Virgin," and notably including films like "Holes," "The Return of the Living Dead," "What I Like About You," "Planet of the Apes," "X-Men" and other recognizable films and television shows.

As far as TV aimed at a younger audience, Peck worked with Nickelodeon, Disney Channel, and on family-oriented sitcoms. The most well-known of these include:

• "Growing Pains"

• "Just the Ten of Us"

• "Good Burger"

• "Kenan & Kel"

• "Clueless"

• "Boy Meets World"

• "All That"

• "The Amanda Show"

• "The Suite Life of Zack & Cody"

• "Yay Me! Starring London Tipton"

Peck was hired to work on Disney's "The Suite Life of Zack & Cody" after his conviction but was terminated after the company learned of his history, reported Variety.

Stars regret supporting Peck: 'Boy Meets World' stars stood by convicted child molester.

Who supported Brian Peck?

Several prominent Hollywood actors wrote letters of support for Brian Peck, "Quiet on Set" documentary makers revealed. Before Peck was sentenced in 2004, several famous actors wrote character letters for him, some of whom have since said they regret doing so. The 41 letters were previously sealed as part of court proceedings.

Notable people who wrote letters of support for Peck included:

• James Marsden of "Jury Duty" ? Marsden told the judge that he had known Peck since he was a teenager and wrote, "I assure you, what Brian has been through in the last year is the suffering of a hundred men."

• Taran Killam of "SNL" ? Killam appeared on "The Amanda Show," "All That," and "Drake & Josh." He wrote: "I've seen the effects this situation has had on Brian, and I know for a fact that he regrets any mistakes made."

• Alan Thicke of "Growing Pains" ? Thicke said in his letter that he gave a "sincere and heartfelt vote of confidence in Brian's future." He has since died without making further statements on the matter.

• Ron Melendez of "General Hospital" ? Melendez said in his letter that Peck was "a good man" and said "Brian made a large mistake, but it was not his alone," implying Bell's parents were partially to blame.

• Will Friedle of "Boy Meets World" ? Friedle originally wrote that "Brian has always shown himself to be a man of integrity and honor," but has since said publicly he was unaware of the true situation and regrets the letter.

• Rider Strong of "Boy Meets World" ? Similarly, Strong originally wrote: "Maliciousness is so antithetical to his nature, it is impossible for me to comprehend a situation that would lead him to do something illegal or even inappropriate." He has since expressed regret for writing the letter. Both "Boy Meets World" stars have also discussed being victims of Peck's "grooming."

• Joanna Kerns of "Growing Pains" ? Kerns originally called Peck "a good man who made a mistake," but has since said her letter of support was "based on complete misinformation," and "knowing what I know now, I never would have written" it.

• Kimmy Robertson of "Twin Peaks" ? Robertson appeared on Drake & Josh and wrote a letter that accused Bell of "pressuring" Peck, saying: "He totally took advantage of Brian's willingness to help anyone who needs it."

• Beth and Rich Correll, directors on several Nickelodeon shows ? The husband-wife duo said in their letters: "Every show that Brian and I have worked on together has had children on it," and no issues had been reported prior to this one. They also said they would "work with him again and "recommend him for any future work." They later told "Quiet on Set" producers that they "had no input or involvement" in the later casting of Peck to work on "The Suite Life of Zack & Cody."

How to watch 'Quiet on Set'

"Quiet On Set: The Dark Side Of Kids TV" premiered on Investigation Discovery (ID) on Sunday, March 17 at 9 p.m. ET. The four-episode series aired in two parts, the second of which was released the following day on Monday, March 18, also at 9 p.m. ET.

The ID channel is available through some cable subscriptions and via live TV streaming services including Fubo, DirecTV, Philo and Sling.

It will also be available to stream after its release on Max, Prime Video, Apple TV, and The Roku Channel.

Contributing: Brendan Morrow and Naledi Ushe, USA TODAY

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Who is Brian Peck? Former Nickelodeon coach Drake Bell accused of abuse