Mark Salling, the actor best known for his role in Glee, has died at the age of 35.

His attorney confirmed the news in a statement. The cause of death has not yet been verified.

“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,” Salling’s lawyer, Michael Proctor, said. “The Salling family appreciates the support they have been receiving and asks for their privacy to be respected.”

Salling pleaded guilty last October to possession of child abuse images, and his sentencing was scheduled for 7 March. After his arrest in December 2015, Salling, best known for playing Noah Puckerman on the hit TV series, was indicted in May 2016 after a search warrant led to the discovery of over 50,000 images on his computer and flashdrive.

In a plea agreement reached with prosecutors, Salling was to face four to seven years in prison to avoid a maximum sentence of 20 years. Salling was ordered to pay each of his victims $50,000 and register as a sex offender. In March, Salling reached a separate $2.7m settlement with a woman who sued him for sexual battery.

According to court documents circulated at the time Salling agreed his plea bargain, he said in court: “I am pleading guilty because I am guilty of the charges and wish to take advantage of the promises set forth in this agreement, and not for any other reason.”