‘American Idol’ Alum Arrested After Child Pornography Investigation

Former “American Idol” contestant Benjamin Glaze, who went viral in 2018 when judge Katy Perry gave him his first-ever kiss on the show, was arrested on October 18, 2024, for Aggravated Possession of Child Sexual Abuse Material, according to the Tulsa Police Department.

Following a tip that Glaze had child sexual abuse material in his possession, an investigation was launched that led to Glaze’s arrest, per a post on the police department’s Facebook page.

Benjamin Glaze

According to the Facebook post, the Tulsa police department’s Sexual Predator/Digital Evidence Recovery Unit — known as the “Spider Unit” — received intel on Glaze, 26, in April. As part of its investigation, the unit obtained a search warrant for his Tulsa residence.

“During the search,” the post said, “a smartphone was recovered that was found to contain over 700 images and videos of child sexual abuse material.”

The Spider Unit located and arrested Glaze on the afternoon of October 18, and he was booked into the Tulsa County Jail, according to the post, which concluded by reminding readers that “this is an arrest and not a conviction.”

According to TMZ, Glaze was released on a $50,000 that night.

Benjamin Glaze Said He Did Not Think He Was Sexually Harassed by Katy Perry

Though Glaze got three “no” votes from Perry, Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie after his televised audition during the judges’ first season on the show, he was at the center of a national debate over whether Perry crossed the line by kissing him.

Nineteen at the time of his audition, he told the judges that he worked as a cashier at an electronic store, adding, “I love it because sometimes there’s cute girls, and they’re not going anywhere without saying hi.”

Referencing Perry’s hit song “I Kissed a Girl,” Bryan quipped, “Have you kissed a girl and liked it?”

“No, I’ve never been in a relationship,” Glaze replied. “I can’t kiss a girl without being in a relationship.”

Perry then urged Glaze to walk over to her. He protested, looking around at the crew as he slowly approached the table and Bryan got his phone out to take a photo or video.

“One on the cheek?” Glaze asked, and then touched his lips to Perry cheek, but she protested that “you didn’t even make the smooch sound!”

He then slowly approached her again and she quickly turned her head, kissing him on the lips, which caused him to fall down in shock. As video of the moment went viral, Glaze told The New York Times, “I was raised in a conservative family and I was uncomfortable immediately.”

But in a since-deleted Instagram post, according to Vanity Fair, Glaze clarified that he didn’t feel like he was sexually harassed on the show.

“Hi everyone, I would like to clear a few things up for anyone who is confused, concerned, or angry,” Glaze wrote, per Vanity Fair. “I am not complaining about the kiss from Katy Perry at all, doing a few news reports and being interviewed by many different reporters has caused some major questions. 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.”

He continued, “I am not complaining about the kiss, I am very honored and thankful to have been apart of ‘American Idol.’ The main purpose for the show is to find stars and new music artist. I do wish I would have performed better in the moment. I should have picked another song to sing and calmed myself down regardless of the kiss. I should have been able to perform under pressure. I do not think I was sexually harassed by Katy Perry and I am thankful for the judges comments and critiques.”

Liv Lane is an entertainment writer who covers the Hallmark Channel, HGTV, American Idol and The Voice for Heavy. Based in Minneapolis, she has three decades of experience as a local and national radio host, columnist and publicist, interviewing and working with a wide range of celebrities over the years, from Deepak Chopra to Lil Nas X. More about Liv Lane