'Glee' Star Mark Salling Indicted on Child Pornography Charges
Mark Salling was indicted on Friday on charges for receiving and possessing child pornography, the Department of Justice announced in a press release.
The former Glee star, 33, was indicted on two counts of child pornography following his arrest last December. According to court documents obtained by ET, he knowingly possessed child pornography on his laptop computer, a hard drive and 16 gigabyte USB flash drive.
WATCH: Mark Salling Arrested for Possession of Child Pornography
The first count specifically alleges that Salling used the Internet on Dec. 26, 2015, to receive an image and video depicting child pornography. The second alleges that Salling possessed two videos involving young girls just three days later.
"Those who download and possess child pornography create a market that causes more children to be harmed," U.S. Attorney Eileen M. Decker said in a statement. "Young victims are harmed every time an image is generated, every time it is distributed, and every time it is viewed."
Salling's laptop, hard drive and flash drive were seized last December, and according to investigators from the Los Angeles Police Department who are still reviewing the material, it "contained thousands of images and videos depicting child pornography."
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"It doesn't matter who you are or what you do, if you hurt a child you will be held accountable," Lt. Andrea Grossman, Commander of the LAPD Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, said in a statement. "These images are more than photographs, they are child abuse."
According to the press release, Salling's attorney says the actor has agreed to surrender to federal authorities and be arraigned on June 3.
If convicted, Salling could face serious jail time. The charge for receiving child pornography requires a minimum sentence of five years and a maximum of 20 years in federal prison. Possessing child pornography also carries a maximum sentence of 20 years.
WATCH: Mark Salling Spotted for the First Time Since Possession of Child Pornography Arrest
As ET previously reported, Salling was arrested on a felony possession charge of child pornography by the LAPD and Homeland Security Investigations at 7 a.m. on Dec. 29, 2015. He was booked at the Metropolitan Detention Center in downtown Los Angeles and was released later that day after posting a $20,000 bail. The LAPD said that after receiving a tip from a "concerned person," they found images of child pornography at Salling's home in the Shadow Hills area of Los Angeles.
ET has reached out to Salling's rep for comment.
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