Olivia Singh
Updated ·4 min read
Acting and dialogue coach Brian Peck was sentenced to 16 months in prison for child sexual abuse.
Peck sexually assaulted Nickelodeon star Drake Bell when he was a minor.
Peck found work in Hollywood after his conviction but hasn't been active in the industry lately.
Investigation Discovery's docuseries "Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV" has reignited conversations about unsafe working conditions and predatory behavior that occurred behind the scenes during Nickedelon's golden age.
"Quiet on Set," initially released in four parts across two nights in March, will return with a bonus fifth episode this Sunday. One of the major talking points from the first batch of episodes involves Nickelodeon star Drake Bell, who revealed that he was sexually assaulted by acting and dialogue coach Brian Peck when he was 15.
Here's what to know about the sexual abuse case and what happened to Peck since he was sentenced to prison, as detailed in "Quiet on Set."
Brian Peck was arrested on charges of lewd acts with a child — now revealed to be Drake Bell — in August 2003 and sentenced to prison the following year
Peck and Bell met on the set of season two of "The Amanda Show," a sketch comedy series starring Amanda Bynes. Peck worked closely with the child actors as a dialogue coach, and Bell was a cast member. Occasionally, Peck also appeared on-camera as Pickle Boy on the Nickelodeon series "All That."
"Brian and I became really close because we had a lot of the same interests, which, looking back, I think was probably a little calculated," Bell said while being interviewed for "Quiet on Set."
Bell said that over time, Brian integrated himself into his life. Peck also caused a divide between Bell and his father, Joe Bell. During this time, Peck assumed a parental role, picking up Bell for auditions and letting the actor stay at his home overnight because his house was further away.
Bell said in the documentary that he was first sexually assaulted by Peck when he was 15 years old and sleeping on the acting coach's couch. Bell described the abuse as "extensive," "brutal," and "not a one-time thing." Bell, who was gearing up to star on his own Nickelodeon show called "," kept his abuse a secret out of fear that his career would be affected.
Eventually, Bell confided in his mom, Robin Dodson, and she immediately called the police. Peck, then 43 years old, was arrested in August 2003 on 11 charges of child sexual abuse, related to a child actor. Bell filed his case as a John Doe to remain anonymous. The majority of the court records, including letters written in support of Peck, were sealed until Maxine Productions, one of the "Quiet on Set" producers, successfully petitioned the court to unseal them in 2023.
Per the doc, Peck pleaded no contest to two charges of child sexual abuse. In October 2004, he was sentenced to 16 months in jail and ordered to register as a sex offender.
Peck briefly worked at the Disney Channel after being released from prison
Despite being a convicted abuser and registered sex offender, Peck still found work in Hollywood — at Nickelodeon's competitor, Disney Channel.
Peck is credited with voicing a talking mirror on three episodes of "The Suite Life of Zack & Cody," which aired in 2006 and 2007. Rich and Beth Correll, who worked with Peck on "The Amanda Show" and wrote letters in support of him, were involved in the "Suite Life" episodes. Rich was listed on IMDb as the episodes' director and Beth was listed as the first assistant director.
The Corrells said in a statement to the producers of "Quiet on Set" that they "had no input or involvement in the casting" of Peck on "Suite Life." The pair said that when they asked Peck about the case, he told them that "the problem had been resolved."
After the release of "Quiet on Set," the Corrells apologized for supporting Peck in a statement to Variety.
Peck hasn't worked professionally in the entertainment industry since 2019
Aside from his short stint at Disney Channel, Peck also worked as a dialogue coach for the 2009 movie "Jack and the Beanstalk" and season two of the Charlie Sheen sitcom "Anger Management," which aired in 2013.
His most recent credited job on his IMDb profile is the 2019 documentary "Making Apes: The Artists Who Changed Film," in which he worked as a researcher.
Photos of Peck published by TMZ on March 7, 2024, reveal Peck currently resides in Los Angeles.
Read the original article on Business Insider