The new Investigation Discovery documentary series Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV explores the disturbing allegations against former Nickelodeon production assistant Jason Handy, who was responsible for handling child actors on set.
In Episode 2, “Hidden in Plain Sight,” a mother of a child actor named Brandi, who appeared in an episode of The Amanda Show, describes Handy’s inappropriate relationship with her daughter.
The mother recalls not being allowed on set and entrusting Handy with watching over her daughter. She claims that Handy was approachable and would often communicate with the parents throughout the day.
However, Handy’s relationship with Brandi would soon turn inappropriate. The mother says that Handy would occasionally email her daughter about shows he was working on, which she referred to as “innocent.”
After a few months, Handy emailed Brandi a naked photo of himself and wrote that he was thinking of her.
“I went back and forth with, ‘Should I call the police?’ They’re going to think I’m a bad parent because I allowed her to talk to this person,” the mother says in the docuseries. “I struggled with this. I finally told myself, ‘I can’t call the police. All I can do is make sure I keep her far away from him.'”
Told over four parts, Quiet on Set explores the toxic culture behind popular kids’ shows of the late 1990s and early 2000s, particularly the works created by Dan Schneider for Nickelodeon, which includes The Amanda Show, Victorious, and Zoey 101. The docuseries features interviews from multiple former child stars, including Drake Bell, Bryan Hearne, and Giovonnie Samuels.
Wondering where Handy is now? Continue reading for everything you need to know.
Jason Handy was arrested in 2003 after an investigation revealed his inappropriate interactions with children “in his church, in his neighborhood, and all over the internet,” according to a report by the Los Angeles Police Department. At the time, victims were identified in Los Angeles, Michigan, and North Carolina.
Quiet on Set reveals that when police searched Handy’s home they found “this enormous trove of child pornography.” Handy owned over 10,000 images of children, including 1,768 images of young girls in erotic poses, 238 images of young girls in sexually explicit poses, and two images of girls included in bondage activity, as well as seven video files of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Police also found journals where Handy wrote, “I’m a pedophile, full-blown” and other incriminating messages.
The investigation led to Handy receiving a six-year prison sentence. When he was released in 2009, he registered as a sex offender in North Carolina. Handy was arrested again in 2014 and charged with three counts of indecent liberties with a child and two counts of sex offender registry violations.
As of now, Handy is serving a sentence in the Federal Correctional Institution Petersburg Medium in Virginia. His release date is set for August 28, 2038.
Quiet on Set is now streaming on ID and Max.
If you or someone you know needs to reach out about sexual abuse or assault, RAINN is available 24/7 at 800-656-HOPE (4673), or online at RAINN.org.