"Glee" star Mark Salling indicted on child pornography charges
Mark Salling -- best known for playing bad boy Noah "Puck" Puckerman on the Fox series "Glee" -- was indicted Friday on two charges of receiving and possessing child pornography, according to documents released by the U.S. Attorney's office.
"Those who download and possess child pornography create a market that causes more children to be harmed," United States Attorney Eileen M. Decker said. "Young victims are harmed every time an image is generated, every time it is distributed, and every time it is viewed."
The indictment mentions two specific incidents, both in December 2015, during which Salling received and possessed a still image and videos depicting pornography, with at least one video involving a girl under the age of 12. The files were found on Salling's laptop and on a flash drive.
The filing also states that "the laptop, a hard drive and a USB flash drive seized from Salling's residence at the end of 2015 contained thousands of images and videos depicting child pornography, according to investigators, who are continuing to review the material."
Salling was arrested on December 29, 2015. "It doesn't matter who you are or what you do, if you hurt a child you will be held accountable," the LAPD's Lt. Andrea Grossman said. "These images are more than photographs. They are child abuse."
If convicted, Salling faces a mandatory minimum of five years in federal prison for one charge, while both carry a maximum of 20 years behind bars. Salling has agreed to surrender himself to authorities on June 3.