"Glee" Star Mark Salling Pleads Not Guilty in Child Pornography Case
An actor who starred on the musical dramedy Glee pleaded not guilty to federal p*********y charges Friday and had his internet usage and travel severely restricted.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Rozella A. Oliver ruled Mark Salling can be released after he posts $150,000 bail, including $100,000 of his own moneyto guarantee future court appearances. Salling, 33, answered several questions from the judge and entered the not guilty during his court appearance, which also resulted in a July trial date being set.
Salling, who played bad-boy Noah Puck Puckerman on the Fox musical dramedy, was charged last week with two counts receiving and possessing child p*********y after a grand jury indicted him last week. U.S. Attorneys spokesman Thom Mrozek said investigators found an extensive, carefully organized collection of child p*********y during searches of Sallings electronic devices.
Prosecutors initially sought to have Salling held without bail, but reached an agreement with the actors attorneys to allow bail to be posted. Sallings attorney Alan Eisner surrendered Sallings passport during Fridays hearing.
Sallings internet-connected devices must now be approved by federal authorities, he will have to wear a location monitoring bracelet and submit to drug testing as conditions of his release, Oliver said.
Eisner declined comment after the hearing and Salling did not speak as he left the courthouse.
Mark Salling leaves court on June 3.Photo: APSalling was arrested at his home last December after Los Angeles police officers and federal agents seized a laptop, hard drive and flash drive they say contained images and videos depicting child p*********y.
He was charged with one count of using the Internet to obtain a pornographic still image and video of young girls and a second count of possessing two other child p**n videos that also featured young girls.
If convicted, he could face as much as 20 years in prison on each of the charges.
The actor is best known for his long-running role on Glee, which aired from 2009 to 2015. He also released an album, Pipe Dreams, in 2010.
He shared a Screen Actors Guild award with the Glee cast in 2010 when the show was honored for outstanding TV comedy ensemble.
Source: http://pagesix.com/2016/06/04/mark-salling-pleads-ot-guilty-in-child-p**n-case/
