LOS ANGELES - American actor Mark Salling, best known for playing Noah 'Puck' Puckerman on hit TV show Glee (2009 - 2015), pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography and faces up to seven years in prison.

He will also pay US$50,000 to each victim who requests it, and participate in a treatment programme.

The 35-year-old was first arrested for posession of child pornography in December 2015, reportedly after a former girlfriend tipped off the police.

Federal investigators say they found more than 25,000 images and 600 videos depicting child pornography on computers and thumb drives that belonged to Salling. According to court documents, the content depicted children as young as three years old being abused.

In May 2016, Salling was indicted on two counts of child porn. After the case was referred to federal authorities a month later, he pleaded not guilty.

In a plea agreement filed with the US District Court for the Central District of California on Tuesday (October 3), Salling, pleaded guilty to "one felony count of possession of child pornography involving a prepubescent minor."