Mark Salling Pleads Guilty In Bombshell Child Porn Case
Disgraced actor Mark Salling officially entered his guilty plea on his bombshell child porn case in Los Angeles Federal Court on Monday in front of Judge Otis D. Wright II, and RadarOnline.com has exclusive details from inside the courtroom.
Salling, 35, dressed in a blue suit, remained silent as the judge asked if he understood the rights he was giving up if he pleaded guilty. Salling responded, “Yes, your honor.”
The former Glee star pleaded guilty to one count of child pornography that include pre-pubescent minors. He will remain out on bond until he is sentenced on March 7, 2018 at 2:30 pm in front of the same judge.
SEE THE EXPLOSIVE COURT DOCUMENTS
Salling also agreed to pay $50,000 in restitution to a victim. According to Assistant US Attorney Joey Blanch, other victims have come forward and have also asked for restitution, so that amount could change.
Judge Wright asked if he had taken any drugs or consumed any alcohol. The actor said he took medication for his depression Monday morning.
Blanch recited evidence found against Salling, including that he possessed a total of about 50,000 “sadistic” and “masochistic” images of child erotica altogether, 4,000 of which were found on his laptop, the federal prosecutor said.
Authorites said Salling downloaded those images from the Internet sometime between April to December 2015. One of the images was produced in the UK of a girl age 3 to 5 years old straddling an adult male. Blanch also said Salling organized his collection of child porn by categories that included the name and age of each victim.
Blanch said Salling showed child porn to a woman he was in relationship with, which was then reported to authorities.
Salling could face a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and lifetime of supervision. He also will have to register as a sex offender.
After the federal prosecutor stated the facts, the judge asked Salling again what was his plea.
Salling paused for a brief moment.
“This is your big speaking role right here,” Wright said to Salling. The actor then replied, “Guilty, your honor.”
Salling remains free on $50,000 bond, according to Thom Mrozek, spokesman for the US Attorney’s Office tells RadarOnline.com.
As RadarOnline.com previously reported, over the summer the actor slit his wrists in an apparent attempt to take his own life in his Sunland, California, home.
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