Boy Meets World's Rider Strong and Will Friedle detail encounters with Brian Peck convicted of child sex abuse

If you or someone you know may be the victim of child abuse, please contact the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child (1-800-422-4453) or contact their live chat services.

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: 'Boy Meets World' actors Will Friedle and Rider Strong took to their 'Pod Meets World' podcast to allege that they were groomed and manipulated by the sitcom's guest star Brian Peck.

According to a description on the iHeart podcast website, 'Boy Meets World' alumni Danielle Fishel, Strong, and Friedle addressed "the difficult subjects of grooming, childhood sexual abuse and their effects on victims" on their podcast on Monday, February 19.

They were joined by family therapist Kati Morton as the co-stars discussed their personal ties with Peck, 63, who appeared in two episodes during Season 5 of 'Boy Meets World'.

Four years later, he was found guilty of sex crimes involving a minor, as per Daily Mail.

During the seven-season run of the ABC sitcom from 1993 to 2000, Fishel, 42, Strong, 44, and Friedle, 47, portrayed the respective characters of Topanga Lawrence, Shawn Hunter, and Eric Matthews.

'Boy Meets World' alums Will Friedle, Rider Strong, and Danielle Fishel recall the bonds they formed with Brian Peck 

Fishel opened the podcast episode by saying that they felt compelled to tell Peck's story because they had all decided to be forthright and honest about their experiences, even in the face of discomfort.

In response to questions concerning Peck, Strong, and Friedle indicated that they had previously gotten along with the actor and had even been friends with him.

Before the public disclosure of his wrongdoings, however, there were rumors that he inappropriately gained access to the 'Boy Meets World' actors' lives both during and after his appearance in Season 5, which ran from October 1997 to May 1998.

"I didn’t really go to parties. I didn’t really do that stuff. But I was working a lot after ‘Boy Meets World,’ and this guy had so ingratiated himself into my life, I took him to three shows after 'Boy Meets World,'" recalled Friedle, going on to discuss the bond he eventually formed with Peck.

He added, "This was the type of thing where the person he presented was this great, funny guy who was really good at his job, and you wanted to hang out with … I saw him every day, hung out with him every day, talked to him every day."

Despite being 20 years apart in age, Strong stated he and Peck eventually spent "all the time" together.

According to him, the 'Codename' actor was sometimes referred to as "the Forrest Gump of Hollywood" because of his extensive network and relentless name-dropping. He first saw it when he ran into him nearly seven years ago, as per Variety.

As for Fishel, she recalled that Peck is openly gay and was different from most 'Boy Meets World' guest actors in that he wanted to spend as much time as possible with the main cast.

"The other adults on set, who maybe could have or should have said, ‘Why are you guys going to lunch with this guy?’ 'Why is this guy going to Rider’s house for a party?'" remarked the 'Girl Meets World' actress. 

She added, "There was probably a part of them that didn’t say it because they were afraid it was going to be taken as homophobia, instead of, 'This is a boundary, gay or not. This is a boundary about adults and kids.'"

Fishel said elsewhere that Peck appeared to be more interested in male stars but added that none of the younger cast members were concerned about his sexual orientation.

Brian Peck was accused of eight counts of child molestation

In 2003, Peck was charged with eight counts of child molestation four years after the finale of 'Boy Meets World' aired. He entered a no-contest plea in 2004 to charges of performing an indecent act against a child and oral copulation on an individual under the age of 16.

The actor was required to register as a sex offender and serve a 16-month prison sentence as part of his plea agreement.

Peck is associated with an upcoming ID docuseries called 'Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV', which delves into the toxic working conditions of the children employed in showbiz in the late 1990s and early 2000s.