Mark Salling has died of an apparent suicide, just weeks before he was due to be sentenced on child pornography charges.

The body of the Glee star was found near his home in Sunland just before 9am on Tuesday.

Assistant Chief Coroner Ed Winter told to DailyMail.com that Salling was pronounced dead at the scene at 9am.

'I heard it was hanging,' said Winter, who later noted that 'the investigation is ongoing and a full autopsy is pending.'

Winter said the autopsy would take place within the next two days.

Salling was just six weeks away from a sentencing hearing in his case, where he faced four to seven years in prison after entering a guilty plea to a federal charge of possessing material involving the sexual exploitation of minors.

It was revealed in court documents that some of the images Salling possessed featured children as young as three.

At the time of the hearing, he told the judge he was on medication for depression.

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Mark Salling (pictured as he arrived for a court appearance in 2016 for child porn charges) has died of an apparent suicide

The disgraced actor's body is removed from the scene by coroners and members of the LAPD

Half a dozen officers assisted as the body was put inside the coroner's van. The official cause of death has not yet been revealed but it is believed the disgraced star hanged himself

The actor's body was found in the river bed, through a wooded area close to a little league baseball field in Los Angeles, California on Tuesday. Pictured, police tape ropes of the scene where Salling was found

The spot where Salling, who played Noah 'Puck' Puckerman in the hit musical-comedy 'Glee,' was found dead in a remote area of Big Tujunga Canyon

Salling's black Nissan Infiniti was parked at the side of the road, near the riverbed where he was found

'I can confirm that Mark Salling passed away early this morning,' his lawyer Michael Proctor said in a statement.

'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. 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.'

Salling was awaiting sentencing after entering a guilty plea to possession of child pornography.

Salling's body was discovered around 8.50am near Big Tujunga Creek, off the Big Tujunga Canyon Road according to Detective Megan Anguilar of the LAPD.

A law enforcement source said the body was found in a shallow riverbed and that the case was being investigated as a suicide.

TMZ was the first to report the news of Salling's death.

His body has since been removed from he scene while officials carry out their investigation. His black, Nissan Infiniti remains parked at the side of the road, surrounded by police cruisers.

Salling was photographed wearing the same clothes he wore for weeks back in October, while he was out buying cigarettes and soda at his local 7-11 store

Authorities were reportedly tipped off by one of Salling's ex-girlfriends and he was arrested in December 2015 before being released on $20,000 bail (Pictured, left to right: Max Adler as Dave (center) and Salling as Puck on Glee in March 2015)

Matthew Morrison, (center) who starred as Will Schuester in Glee, shared a photo of himself with Salling (right) and Cory Monteith (left) who died from a drugs overdose. He captioned the photo with three emoji faces; two angels - one for Salling and one for Monteith - and a sad face for himself

Tim Davis, a vocal contractor and vocal arranger for Glee, tweeted that he 'loved Mark' and was 'sad' about his death

Jane Lynch, who played Sue Sylvester, then retweeted his second message, saying that Salling's suicide did not minimize his crimes, but implored people to 'stop adding to (Sallings') family's pain'

Paris Barclay, a Glee producer, added: 'It's a painful loss, again. Two young actors, lost too soon. RIP #marksalling'

Meanwhile the LAPD and volunteers from the Mayor's Crisis Response Team, were spotted at his Sunland home where he'd been living before his death.

The three ladies, wearing light blue t-shirts bearing the team's logo, were escorted into the property by the female officer and let inside by an occupant of the home.

According to the CRT website, the volunteers 'provide immediate on-scene crisis intervention, act as a liaison between the victim and emergency personnel and give referrals to victims and their families affected by a death, a violent crime or other traumatic incidents.

'These incidents include homicides, suicides, traffic fatalities, officer involved shooting, death notification, infant deaths, natural deaths and multi-casualty incidents.'

The body of Mark Salling is carried from a dry river bed near Sunland, wrapped in a yellow carry case

After being carried through the bushes, the corpse is placed on a stretcher

The body and stretcher was then covered in an LA County Coroner bag

Half a dozen officers assisted as the body was wheeled round to the coroner's van

Neighbors said they had seen Salling come and go in recent weeks, making trips to a local 7/11 for groceries.

The actor made a suicide attempt last summer, when he cut both of his wrists, according to a report.

Salling is said to have 'freaked out' after hurting himself on August 22.

He was taken to a local hospital after paramedics treated him in his Los Angeles home.

The actor was reportedly taken to be treated for psychological problems after he recovered.

Salling's career came crashing down in 2015 after he was arrested for possession of child porn.

Investigators found he 'downloaded thousands of images of child pornography' between April and December 2015.

Salling's car remains parked just in front of the van while police investigate the scene

The coroners van which will transport Salling's body to the coroner's office. The actor took his own life while awaiting sentencing on child pornography charges

The papers state he used software to mask his IP address, but twice showed some of his collection to an adult woman, who ultimately reported him to police.

Following the tip-off, Salling was arrested at his home in Sunland, California, where police found a cache of explicit images on his computer depicting children as young as 10 in sexual situations. They later discovered more than 50,000 photos and videos on his laptop and another 4,000 on a flash drive.

The actor was originally facing a maximum sentence of 20 years behind bars after being charged with two counts of child pornography last year.

Former Glee star Mark Salling in court in December where he pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography. It's the last time he would be seen in public

Prosecutors and Salling (arriving at court in December) agreed to ask a judge to sentence the actor to between four to seven years in prison

Authorities were reportedly tipped off by one of Salling's ex-girlfriends and he was arrested in December 2015 (pictured ducking down in the passenger seat of a car as he leaves jail after being arrested for possession of child pornography)

The 35-year-old would also have been required to register as a sex offender, pay restitution and abide by residency restrictions.

That would have meant he was banned from coming within 100 feet of schoolyards, parks, public swimming pools, playgrounds and video arcade venues; and cannot speak to children under the age of 18 without their parents or guardians present.

Authorities were reportedly tipped off by one of Salling's ex-girlfriends and he was arrested in December 2015 before being released on $20,000 bail.

Lieutenant Andrea Grossman, commander of the LAPD Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, said at the time: 'It doesn't matter who you are or what you do, if you hurt a child you will be held accountable.'

She added: 'These images are more than photographs, they are child abuse.'

He is the second major actor from the popular series to have died at a young age.

His costar Cory Monteith died from a drug overdose in his Vancouver hotel room in March 2013. The actor, who had a history of substance abuse as a teen, was just 31 years old.

the LAPD and volunteers from the Mayor's Crisis Response Team, were spotted at his Sunland home where he'd been living before his death (pictured)

The modest one-storey property, in Sunland, California, where Salling lived after his arrest

Police outside the home of former Glee star Mark Salling in Sunland, California

Salling reportedly hanged himself next to the creek, adjacent to a little league baseball field

The entrance to the field, which is close to Big Tujunga Creek which runs through LA

The coroner found he died of a toxic combination of heroin and alcohol, and ruled that his death was an 'accidental overdose'.

The actor's death has been met with a mixed response on social media with some expressing sadness at his loss, and others celebrating the death of someone convicted of possessing child porn.

Matthew Morrison, who starred as Will Schuester in Glee, shared a photo of himself with Salling and Monteith, and captioned the photo with three emoji faces; a sad face for himself, an angel for Monteith and, rather surprisingly, an angel for Salling.

Tim Davis, a vocal contractor and vocal arranger for Glee, tweeted that he 'loved Mark' and was 'sad' about his death.

Actress Jane Lynch, who played Sue Sylvester in the series, then retweeted his second message, which explained that Salling's suicide did not 'minimize his crimes', but implored people to 'stop adding to (Sallings') family's pain'.

She told later TMZ 'it's very said, very tragic' when asked about his death.

When asked how she'd remember her costar, she replied: 'As the guy who made that really sweet video at the beginning of Glee when he was so happy to be a part of this program. It's tragic and I'm broken hearted over it.'

Glee producer Paris Barclay‏ added: 'It's a painful loss, again. Two young actors, lost too soon. RIP #marksalling.'

Salling was previously sued by his ex-girlfriend Roxanne Gorzela for sexual battery.

Gorzela claimed that he forced her to have unprotected sex with him and later, when she confronted him over his actions, Salling allegedly pushed her to the ground and caused injury to her knees.

It was reported that the case was settled midway through trial after Gorzela dropped the sexual battery claim.

Salling was previously sued by his ex-girlfriend Roxanne Gorzela (right) for sexual battery

In 2011, he ended his fling with Gorzela before their legal issues began. In 2014 he was linked to another co-star Lea Michele (pictured with him in 2009)

In 2008 he was then in a relationship with co-star Naya Rivera, who plays Santana Lopez. In 2010 the relationship soured, and she was accused of egging his house and keying his Lexus in a jealous rage

However the relationship never flourished. More recently he dated 19-year-old Big Time Rush actress Denyse Tontz, but the two broke up some time last year

Salling admitted to negligently causing her to fall and injure herself. She is not believed to have been the woman who tipped off the authorities.

The pair settled the case for a reported $2.7million when Salling admitted to causing her to fall and injure herself through negligence.

Salling shot to fame playing Noah 'Puck' Puckerman in the hit FOX series Glee. He first appeared in 2008 and was a regular until season five.

Salling was born in Dallas, Texas, and was reportedly home-schooled in a 'strict Christian home'.

He attended Providence Christian School and Our Redeemer Lutheran elementary schools, and after graduating from a high school, he travelled to California and attended Los Angeles Music Academy College of Music in Pasadena, California and began studying guitar. He gave guitar lessons to make a living.

His first acting role was in Children of the Corn IV: The Gathering (1996) with Naomi Watts. He also starred in The Graveyard in 2006.

Salling (right, in 2009) is the second major actor from Glee to have died at a young age. His costar Cory Monteith (left) died from a drugs overdose in his Vancouver hotel room in March 2013

The actor (pictured, left and right, on Glee) reached a plea agreement with prosecutors in October. The agreement states a search warrant found more than 50,000 images of child porn on Salling's computer and a thumb drive downloaded between April 2015 and December 2015

The Texas native has been romantically linked to many celebrities, including some of his co-stars on the musical show.

In 2008, he dated former The Hills star Audrina Partridge, but the relationship appeared to die out.

He was then in a relationship with co-star Naya Rivera, who plays Santana Lopez. In 2010 the relationship soured, and she was accused of egging his house and keying his Lexus in a jealous rage.

In 2011, he ended his fling with Gorzela before their legal issues began. In 2014 he was spotted at Cochella music festival with another co-star Lea Michele.

However the relationship never flourished. More recently he dated 19-year-old Big Time Rush actress Denyse Tontz, but the two broke up some time last year.

If you are concerned about any issues involving suicide, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline on 1-800-273-8255.

For confidential support in Australia call the Lifeline 24-hour crisis support on 13 11 14.