Former “Glee” actor Mark Salling was indicted on child pornography charges by a federal grand jury Friday.
Salling was charged with receiving and possessing child porn on his laptop computer and a flash drive, according to the U.S. Attorney’s office of the Central District of California.
The images, depicting young girls, were allegedly seized from Salling’s Shadow Hills home in December.
“The traditional stereotype about the kinds of people who commit child sexual exploitation crimes simply doesn’t dovetail with reality. As our investigators can attest, the defendants in child pornography cases come in all ages and from all walks of life,” said Joseph Macias, special agent in charge for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations in Los Angeles, in a written statement.
“While people are often surprised when high-profile individuals come under scrutiny in such investigations, we hope cases like this will raise awareness about law enforcement’s vigilance to combat the online sexual exploitation of children and hold those involved, regardless of their position, accountable for their actions.”
If convicted, Salling faces up to 20 years in federal prison on each of the two charges.
Salling, through his attorney, has agreed to surrender to federal authorities next week to face the charges in the indictment. He is expected to be arraigned at that time, according to The Associated Press.
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Salling is best known for playing Noah "Puck" Puckerman on "Glee."
