‘Glee’ star Salling pleads not guilty in child-porn case

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‘Glee’ star Salling pleads not guilty in child-porn case

LOS ANGELES

An actor who starred on the musical dramedy “Glee” pleaded not guilty to federal pornography 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 money to 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 pornography after a grand jury indicted him last week. U.S. Attorney’s spokesman Thom Mrozek said investigators found an extensive, carefully organized collection of child pornography during searches of Salling’s electronic devices.

Prosecutors initially sought to have Salling held without bail, but reached an agreement with the actor’s attorneys to allow bail to be posted. Salling’s attorney Alan Eisner surrendered Salling’s passport during Friday’s hearing.

Salling’s 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.

Tamar Braxton gets new talk-show deal from Steve Harvey

ATLANTA

Tamar Braxton has a deal for a new talk show just days after exiting as a co-host of “The Real.”

Comedian and talk-show host Steve Harvey announced during an interview with Braxton on his radio show Thursday that he has signed a deal to produce a new TV talk show for Braxton.

The 39-year-old younger sister of singer Toni Braxton calls it an “AMAZING opportunity” in an Instagram post, but offered no other details on the program.

Braxton told Harvey “that her firing from “The Real” came “out of the blue,” and no one has told her why she was let go after the show’s second season.

Braxton was part of a five-person group on the syndicated chat show that also airs on BET.

Former ‘Survivor’ contestant to face trial on child-porn charges

CLARKSTON, Mich.

Former “Survivor” contestant Michael Skupin has been ordered to trial in Michigan on child- pornography charges and other crimes.

A suburban Detroit judge on Friday said there’s enough evidence to send Skupin to Oakland County court. He was charged in February.

Investigators say child porn was discovered on Skupin’s laptop while they were looking into an alleged Ponzi scheme in which money from new investors is used to pay earlier investors.

Defense attorney Steven Lynch said police can’t prove that Skupin owned or even used the computers.

Skupin was rescued by helicopter after falling into a campfire and burning his hands in 2001 on “Survivor II: The Australian Outback.”

Associated Press