Poundstone reaches agreement with plea in lewd conduct case

SANTA MONICA, Calif. -- Comedian Paula Poundstone accepted a plea agreement Wednesday that ends her child abuse case and clears her of lewd conduct charges.

The 41-year-old former star of the game show "To Tell the Truth" pleaded no contest in Los Angeles Superior Court to felony child endangerment and misdemeanor inflicting injury on a child, according to her publicist Allan Mayer.

"The lewd conduct charges against me were dropped because they weren't true," Poundstone said in a written statement. "I pled no-contest to the child endangerment-injury charges because they were. My drinking helped to create a dangerous situation for the children. For this, I am very sorry."

As a result of the deal, prosecutors dropped the three lewd conduct charges, Deputy District Attorney Gina Satriano said.

Poundstone accepted the prosecutor's sentencing recommendation of five years supervised probation with the condition that 180 days in a secure drug and alcohol rehabilitation center count instead of county jail.

She previously pleaded innocent to three counts of committing a lewd act on a girl under the age of 14 and endangering two other girls and two boys.