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

Drake Bell is speaking out for the first time about the "brutal" sexual abuse he allegedly endured at the hands of a former Nickelodeon dialogue coach.

In the third episode of the Investigation Discovery series "Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV," the former "Drake & Josh" star, 37, alleges his dialogue coach Brian Peck sexually assaulted him when he was 15.

Peck was arrested in August 2003 on a charge of lewd acts with a child, stemming from a 2001 incident in which he allegedly molested a child he was coaching over a six-month period. He was convicted in 2004.

In the documentary, Bell describes waking 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 says. "I have no idea how to get out of the situation."

USA TODAY has reached out to a representative for Peck for comment.

Drake Bell's father alleges he brought up concerns over Brian Peck's behavior to Nickelodeon

Bell says 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."

Joe Bell, Drake's father, also says in the documentary that he became concerned Peck was hanging around his son "too much" and noticed he would routinely touch him. He alleges he informed the show's production that he was "very uncomfortable" with Peck "always being around my son" but claims he was accused of homophobia and assured that Peck is just "a touchy-feely guy."

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In a statement to USA TODAY, Nickelodeon said, "Now that Drake Bell has disclosed his identity as the plaintiff in the 2004 case, we are dismayed and saddened to learn of the trauma he has endured, and we commend and support the strength required to come forward."

Drake Bell says Brian Peck drove 'a wedge' between him and his father

Peck soon began integrating himself into Bell's life more and more, the actor says. When Bell's father tried to make it difficult for Peck to be around him, Peck allegedly set out to "drive a wedge" between them, Bell adds. This culminated in Bell dropping his father as his manager, leading to a rift between the two.

"Very, very quickly, Brian put himself in the position of what my dad was doing my whole life," Bell says, adding that Peck started to pick him up for auditions and would have him stay the night at his house.

After the alleged sexual assault occurred, Bell says Peck apologized and told him it would "never happen again," but the abuse continued and got progressively worse.

"I was just trapped," Bell says. "I had no way out."

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Drake Bell alleges Brian Peck's abuse 'got pretty brutal'

He adds, "The abuse was extensive, and it got pretty brutal. 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."

But Bell says he did not speak up at the time because Peck was so well-connected that he feared doing so would hurt his acting career. Peck allegedly tried, and failed, to get himself cast as the father on "Drake & Josh."

Bell says his girlfriend's mom intervened and took him to therapy after growing alarmed when Peck repeatedly called him about wanting to take him to Disneyland.

"A forty-something-year-old man does not call my daughter's boyfriend like that," he remembers her saying. Bell says he finally "exploded" and revealed what had been happening in a conversation with his mom, leading her to call the police.

Drake Bell recalls police investigation about Brian Peck's alleged abuse

During the ensuing police investigation, Bell says he called Peck and got him to confess to the alleged abuse on tape. "He kept asking me over and over again, 'Are we being recorded?'" Bell says.

But Bell says he was shocked to find Peck still received support after his arrest, as his "entire side of the courtroom was full" when he was sentenced in 2004. In February, "Boy Meets World" stars Will Friedle and Rider Strong accused Peck of grooming them and expressed "shame" that they initially supported him in court.

Bell says this traumatic period of his life led him to engage in "a lot of self-destruction," including alcohol and substance abuse.

In a statement to USA TODAY, Nickelodeon said "though we cannot corroborate or negate allegations of behaviors from productions decades ago, Nickelodeon as a matter of policy investigates all formal complaints as part of our commitment to fostering a safe and professional workplace environment free of harassment or other kinds of inappropriate conduct."

The network added: "Our highest priorities are the well-being and best interests not just of our employees, casts and crew, but of all children, and we have adopted numerous safeguards over the years to help ensure we are living up to our own high standards and the expectations of our audience."

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Mother breaks down recalling alleged abuse daughter encountered on Nick production

In another episode of the documentary, the mother of a former "The Amanda Show" actress, Brandi, alleges a production assistant sent her daughter a nude photograph. Brandi's last name is not mentioned.

"We as parents were not allowed on the set," Brandi's mom MJ says, noting that production assistant Jason Handy was in charge of bringing the kids throughout set. He was "very charismatic, very charming," she recalls.

Brandi was a guest on "The Amanda Show" for one episode, so the then-11-year-old exchanged emails with Handy to stay connected for future opportunities. MJ says their email exchanges were "innocent" up until the production assistant allegedly sent Brandi a nude photograph.

"It was a picture of him naked masturbating and he said he sent it to her because he wanted her to see that he was thinking of her," MJ says through tears.

She ultimately decided not to report him to the police out of fear of retribution, but she did take Brandi out of the industry and "never returned." Handy was arrested in 2003 and convicted in 2004 for lewd acts against underage girls who appeared on "The Amanda Show" and "Cousin Skeeter."

Law enforcement was later tipped off about inappropriate material at Handy's home, which led to his arrest. "The investigation revealed that Handy was attempting to prey on children at his church, in his neighborhood and over the Internet. Handy, an employee in the entertainment industry, was using those connections to contact children," a Los Angeles Police Department press release from the time stated.

Police found thousands of images of children in compromised positions and according to MJ, ziplock bags from various young girls that "had some kind of token in it." Investigators went on to contact her family because Brandi's name was written on a ziplock bag along with letters she had exchanged with Handy.

Handy was sentenced to six years in prison for lewd acts on a child, distributing sexually explicit material by email and a misdemeanor charge related to child sexual exploitation, per documents viewed by The Los Angeles Times.

One of the charges referred to a nine-year-old girl who appeared on "Cousin Skeeter," according to the docuseries.

Brandi participated in the court case, but there "was never any apology," her mom stated.

How to watch 'Quiet on Set'

"Quiet on Set" will air on ID across two nights, March 17 and March 18, at 9 EDT/PDT.

If you are a survivor of sexual assault, RAINN offers support through the National Sexual Assault Hotline (800.656.HOPE and online.rainn.org). 

MenHealing provides resources and services for adult males who have been sexually victimized during childhood or as adults. You can visit their website for more information or follow MenHealing on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Drake Bell alleges sex abuse by Nickelodeon dialogue coach Brian Peck