Disclaimer: This article contains mentions of child abuse and sexual assault. Reader discretion is advised.
Investigation Discovery’s Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV delves into the allegations against Nickelodeon’s former production assistant, Jason Handy. According to Fox News, Handy was responsible for escorting the child actors on show sets. However, in 2003, police arrested him after receiving a tip, per Entertainment Weekly. They found over 1700 images of children in compromised positions and videos of children engaged in sexually explicit activities.
Entertainment Weekly stated that Handy pleaded no contest to lewd acts on a child, distributing sexually explicit material by email, and child sexual exploitation in 2004. These charges stemmed from his actions against underage girls who appeared on Nickelodeon’s The Amanda Show and Cousin Skeeter. He received a six-year prison sentence.
The Los Angeles Times stated that after his release in 2009, Handy moved to North Carolina. There, he registered as a sex offender. Then, in 2014, North Carolina authorities arrested the then-40-year-old. They charged him with three counts of indecent liberties with a child and two counts of sex offender registry violations.
According to federal prison records, Jason Handy, now 49, is currently incarcerated in the Federal Correctional Institution in Petersburg, Virginia. As per the data, his release date is August 28, 2038.
What did Quiet on Set reveal about Jason Handy?
Jason Handy’s 2004 conviction stemmed from his actions against underage girls from Nickelodeon’s The Amanda Show and Cousin Skeeter. According to USA Today, one of his victim’s mother, identified as MJ in Quiet on Set, spoke about her daughter’s traumatic encounter with Handy. She recalled that “parents were not allowed on the set,” claiming that Handy escorted child actors around on set. She described him as “very charismatic, very charming.”
Brandi, then 11, was a guest star on The Amanda Show for one episode but remained in touch with Handy. The two often exchanged emails regarding future opportunities. MJ said their interactions were “innocent” until one occasion when Handy sent Brandi a nude photograph. The mother claimed, “It was a picture of him [Jason Handy] naked masturbating.” She added, “He [Handy] said he had sent it to her because he wanted her to see that he was thinking of her.”
When authorities arrested Jason Handy in 2003, they found incriminating evidence in his house. Police found over 1700 images of children in compromised positions and seven videos of children engaged in sexually explicit activities, reported Entertainment Weekly. MJ revealed that other evidence included ziplock bags from various young girls that “had some kind of token in it.” One such ziplock bag consisted of Brandi’s name.
Quiet on Set also revealed details from Handy’s personal diary. One entry said, “I am a pedophile, full blown,” and another said, “I really have been giving into my desire for little girls these past few weeks.” A third entry further stated, “I even struggle on a day-to-day basis of how I can find a victim to rape if I have to.”
The outlet reported that Jason Handy’s second victim was from Cousin Skeeter. He assaulted the girl at her home in 2000 and told her not to tell her mother. The production assistant also assured her he could get her jobs on other shows.
The docuseries also looks into allegations former Nickelodeon child actors and crew members have made against Dan Schneider. They accused Schneider, who was once a prominent producer and creator on the network, of exhibiting abusive behavior. Former Darke & Josh actor also claimed that his former dialogue coach, Brian Peck, had sexually assaulted him when he was a teen.
Quiet on Set, a four-part docuseries, premiered on Sunday, March 17, in a two-night event.
