LOS ANGELES — Mark Salling, one of the stars of the Fox musical comedy “Glee,” has died at age 35.

Salling’s lawyer, Michael J. Proctor, tells The Associated Press the actor died Tuesday. His death comes weeks before the actor was scheduled to be sentenced in federal court on child pornography charges.

Proctor did not reveal the cause of death.

Salling pleaded guilty in December to possession of child pornography. Prosecutors say a search of Salling’s computer found more than 50,000 images of child porn.

He was scheduled to be sentenced March 7.

He played bad-boy Noah “Puck” Puckerman on the long-running show, which concluded in 2015.

John Rogers, The Associated Press

 

UPDATE via People.com

Mark Salling has died in an apparent suicide weeks before being sentenced to prison for possession of child pornography. He was 35.

“I can confirm that Mark Salling passed away early this morning. Mark was a gentle and loving person, a person of great creativity, who was doing his best to atone for some serious mistakes and errors of judgment,” his attorney Michael Proctor tells PEOPLE. “He is survived by his mother and father, and his brother. The Salling family appreciates the support they have been receiving and asks for their privacy to be respected.”

“He was found hanging from a tree in the area of the Los Angeles River in Sunland,” Coroner Assistant Chief Ed Winter tells PEOPLE. Salling was pronounced dead at the scene at 9 a.m. Tuesday and his body is at the coroner’s office. According to Winter, his relatives have been notified of the death and an autopsy is scheduled for the next few days.

An LAPD PIO told PEOPLE that officers responded to a death investigation at the 11900 block of Big Tujunga Cyn Road Tuesday morning at 8:50 a.m. but could not identify Salling.

The Glee star pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography involving a prepubescent minor Oct. 4, 2017. After striking a plea deal in December, he was due to be sentenced in March and expected to serve four to seven years in prison.

“Mark is focused on accepting responsibility and attempting to atone for his conduct,” Proctor said in a statement to PEOPLE at the time.

 

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