On December 29, 2015, Mark Salling, who formerly played Noah Puckerman, also known as “Puck,” in the Fox hit, "Glee," was arrested for possession of child pornography. He was later indicted for receiving and possessing child pornography on his laptop and flash-drive, on May 31, 2016.
Salling had over 50,000 images and videos of child abuse and pornography on his personal computer and over 4,000 on his flash drive. He did this by concealing his IP address with special software. His ex-girlfriend reported him to the authorities, who confiscated his electronic devices and later arrested him.
Before settling a plea deal last October 3, Salling had the potential to face a maximum of 20 years in prison and a lifetime of supervised release, on top of registering as a sex offender. The case had been ongoing for almost 2 years.
"When someone downloads or possess child pornography, they create a market that causes more children to be harmed," Attorney Eileen M. Decker stated in court.
Sailing tries to commit suicide in LA home
According to TMZ, Salling was in his LA home when he cut both his wrists. He panicked at the sight of his blood, immediately screaming for his roommate, Jonathan Hernandez. Hernandez called 911 and Salling was rushed to the hospital. According to the report, Salling was also psychiatrically evaluated and taken to rehab.
Salling settles plea deal: 'I plead guilty because I am guilty'
On October 3, Salling pleaded guilty to charges of possession of child pornography. He now faces four to seven years in custody with 20 years of supervised release. Salling is also banned from communicating with anyone under 18 unless supervised by a parent or guardian.
He must also stay 100 ft. away from children’s facilities such as playgrounds, parks, schools, etc. Salling is to register as a sex offender and is obligated to pay $50,000 in restitution to each victim who requests.
“I am pleading guilty because I am guilty of the charges and wish to take advantage of the promises set forth in this agreement, and not for any other reason,” Salling sated, according to court documents.
Since his indictment, Salling was dropped from his most recent project "Gods and Secrets" by director Adi Shankar.
Salling has had past run-ins with the law. Back in 2013, Sailing was sued by Ex, Roxanne Gorzela, for sexual battery. Gorzela claimed Salling forced her to have unprotected sex, then assaulted her days later during a confrontation about the issue. Salling had to settle a 2.7 million settlement with Gorzela.
