Richard Shotwell / AP
Glee actor Mark Wayne Salling was indicted Friday on federal charges of receiving and possessing child pornography on his laptop computer and a flash memory drive.
Salling, who played Noah Puckerman on Glee, was named in the two-count indictment following an investigation by the Los Angeles Police Department and the Child Exploitation Investigations Group, a multi-agency task force.
The indictment alleges that Salling, 33, used the internet to receive a pornographic still image and a video of a young girl on Dec. 26, 2015. The second count charges Salling with possessing two pornographic videos depictingof young girls on Dec. 29, 2015, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.
The laptop, a hard drive, and a USB flash drive seized from Salling’s residence also contained thousands of images and videos depicting child pornography, according to federal authorities, who are continuing to review the material.
Matt Sayles / AP
Salling was initially arrested by Los Angeles police in December and released on bond. However, once investigators realized the scope of the child pornography, the matter was referred to federal authorities for further action, which resulted in the indictment indictment, prosecutors said.
“It doesn’t matter who you are or what you do, if you hurt a child you will be held accountable,” LAPD Lt. Andrea Grossman said in a statement. “These images are more than photographs, they are child abuse.”
A representative for Salling could not immediately be reached Friday.
Through his attorney, Salling has agreed to surrender to federal authorities on June 3 for arraignment.
“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," said Joseph Macias, Special Agent in Charge for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations.
Salling faces up 20 years in federal prison for both charges if convicted.
from BuzzFeed - USNews http://ift.tt/1X1GQJE
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