Nickelodeon fans shocked to discover where Brian Peck went after prison

Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV is set to release soon, with one of its many revelations being where former Nickelodeon star Brian Peck went after prison – and it’s sparked a shocked reaction.

Dan Schneider was known as the king of kids TV back in the 00s, having produced a series of hits for Nickelodeon – from The Amanda Show and Drake & Josh to Zoey 101, iCarly, and Victorious. 

But off camera, there were accusations of a toxic work environment. Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV is set to dive into these claims, while also exposing the numerous child sex abusers who worked with many of the young stars. 

In the documentary series, Drake Bell exposes the extensive abuse he faced as a teen by his former voice coach and Nickelodeon “Pickle Boy,” Brian Peck. Now, it’s been revealed what he did once he was released from prison. Warning: Some may find this content distressing. 

Nickelodeon fans can’t believe where Brian Peck went after prison

After being sentenced to 16 months in prison in 2004 for child sex abuse, rather than being ostracized by Hollywood, Brian Peck was hired by Disney to work on The Suite Life of Zack and Cody. 

Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of TV delves into at least three known child sex offenders – Jason Michael Handy, Brian Peck, and Ezel Channel – who worked for Nickelodeon in a short space of time, highlighting the need for stricter background checks on adults working alongside children and teenagers. 

In 2003, Peck – who was 43 at the time – was arrested on a number of charges including sodomy, lewd acts upon a child aged 14 or 15, and oral copulation. During the trial, a number of actors and industry figures wrote letters of support for Beck, including The Amanda Show’s respective director and stage manager, Rich and Beth Correll.

Rich wrote in his letter: “It would be my pleasure to work with him again.” In Quiet on Set, Kate Taylor – a journalist for Business Insider who helped get the documents unsealed – points out that we don’t know how much those who supported Peck knew about his crimes. 

However, even after the trial had ended and Peck was sentenced to 16 months in prison for sexually abusing Bell, he went on to work with the Corrells again on the Disney Channel show, The Suite Life of Zack and Cody. 

“It shows that there are not enough protections in place to keep even convicted sexual predators off of kids TV shows,” says Taylor. 

The Corrells released a statement to the Quiet on Set producers claiming that “they had no input or involvement in the casting” of Peck on the Disney show. They added that when they asked him about the case, he replied that “the problem had been resolved.”

Disney faced backlash at the time for the decision, and it’s facing it once again now the details are doing the rounds online. Taking to X, one wrote: “Hey, @Disney! I noticed you hired Brian Peck in 2006 for Suite Life of Zack and Cody after he pleaded guilty to molesting a minor in 2004. Why did you think it was appropriate to hire a recently convicted child sex offender for a children’s tv show?”

Another said on Reddit, “This is the part that is most staggering to me. HOW did that happen? He was a registered sex offender! That’s for life in California.” A third added, “How can it be possible to be hired for a job working specifically with children after a conviction like that? That’s INSANE.”