A former American Idol contestant is behind bars after they were arrested for possession of child abuse material.
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Benjamin Glaze, the American Idol contestant who went viral after Katy Perry kissed him during his audition in 2018, was arrested on Friday, Oct. 18 in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The Tulsa Police Department confirmed the arrest on Facebook.
According to the authorities, Glaze was allegedly discovered to be in possession of child sexual abuse material in April 2024. This was after the Tulsa Police Sexual Predator/Digital Evidence Recovery Unit received a tip about the alleged criminal activity.
“As part of the investigations, the Spider Unit obtained a search warrant for Glaze’s residence,” the Tulsa Police Department claimed. “During the search, a smartphone was recovered that was found to contain over 700 images and videos of child sexual abuse material.”
The authorities then pointed out that on Oct. 18, an arrest warrant was issued for Benjamin Isaac Dewitt Glaze for Aggravated Possession of Child Sexual Abuse Material. “Glaze was located and arrested on the afternoon of 10/18/2024 by the Spider Unit and booked into the Tulsa County Jail for his warrant.”
The ‘American Idol’ Contestant Previously Made Headlines After He Was Kissed by Katy Perry During His Audition
Glaze was 19 years old when he met American Idol judges Perry, Luke Bryan, and Lionel Richie. While auditioning, he told the judges that he was a cashier, which allowed him to meet “cute girls.” Bryan then jokingly asked the contestant if he had kissed a girl and liked it.
“I have never been in a relationship, and I can’t kiss a girl without being in a relationship,” Glaze admitted. Perry then asked him to come to the judge’s table and give her a kiss on the cheek. When he did, she wasn’t quite satisfied. She asked for a second kiss, but this time, she turned her face just in time for her to kiss him on the lips.
Following the incident, Glaze told The New York Times he would have rejected Perry if he knew her intentions.
“Would I have done it if she said, ‘Would you kiss me?’ No, I would have said no,” he stated. “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. I wanted my first kiss to be special.”
Bryan did defend Perry after Glaze’s remarks. He stated the “Firework” hitmaker was “working hard” to make “fun TV.”
“It’s unfortunate that stuff like that turns into a story that big,” Luke explained. “I watched an actual interview where Ben, the kid that was involved, said that he was cool with everything.”
Bryan then added, “I gotta back Katy on that.”