Who is Benjamin Glaze? Former American Idol contestant gets arrested for alleged child abuse material possession

Benjamin Glaze, who participated in American Idol season 16 in the past, was recently arrested on October 18, 2024, for reportedly possessing materials of child p*rnography. Glaze was in the headlines around six years ago when Katy Perry kissed him as he went to audition on the popular singing reality show.

The news of Benjamin's arrest was revealed by the Tulsa Police Department on their official Facebook page. The post reads that their S*xual Predator/Digital Evidence Recovery Unit (Spider Unit) acquired details related to his criminal activities. The statement continued:

"As part of the investigations, the Spider Unit obtained a search warrant for Glaze's residence. During the search, a smartphone was recovered that was found to contain over 700 images and videos of child s*xual abuse material."

The post also mentioned that Benjamin Glaze's arrest warrant was issued, accusing him of "Aggravated Possession of Child S*xual Abuse Material." The statement revealed that Glaze has been transported into the Tulsa County Jail, adding that he has not been convicted yet.

Glaze was later released on a bond of $50,000 and further updates related to his court appearance and other information are currently awaited from the official authorities.

---

Benjamin Glaze's auditioned twice at the American Idol: Career and other details explained

As mentioned, Benjamin Glaze's participation in the ABC reality show in 2018 became a topic of discussion after getting a kiss from Katy Perry. Notably, this was not the first time that he came on the show.

According to Daily Mail, Glaze had previously auditioned on American Idol in 2015. He performed on a single, Stadium, and the lyrics of the song were also written by him. During his second audition, Glaze attempted to impress the judges with the song Levels by Nick Jonas but could not reach the second round.

On the other hand, he told the judges' panel before his performance that he has never been romantically linked to anyone and had never kissed a girl before. This is the time when Katy Perry kissed him and the moment also received a negative response on social media platforms.

In a phone conversation with The New York Times in March 2018, Benjamin Glaze addressed the experience by saying that he was a "tad bit uncomfortable." He stated that he wanted his "first kiss to be special" and added:

"Would I have done it if she said, 'Would you kiss me?' No, I would have said no. I know a lot of guys would be like, 'Heck, yeah!' But for me, I was raised in a conservative family and I was uncomfortable immediately."

Following the criticism, Benjamin Glaze denied that he was s*xually harassed in an Instagram post the same year, which was deleted later. He said that his conversations with reporters alongside some news pieces have created problems and continued:

"The way certain articles are worded is not done by me, and my true intentions are not accurately represented in every article you read about the situation. I am not complaining about the kiss, I am very honored and thankful to have been apart of American Idol … I do not think I was s*xually harassed by Katy Perry and I am thankful for the judges comments and critiques."

Meanwhile, Katy Perry made her final appearance as a judge of American Idol this year. The singer revealed the news on Jimmy Kimmel Live! in February 2024, adding that she was focused on bringing new music to the audience.