Former American Idol contestant Benjamin Glaze, whose audition went viral when he received a kiss from judge Katy Perry, has reportedly been arrested by the Tulsa Police Departmen on charges of child pornography.
American Idol Contestant Who Kissed Katy Perry Arrested
According to TMZ, Tulsa PD posted about Glaze’s arrest on Facebook, explaining that their Sexual Predator/Digital Evidence Recovery Unit had received information about Glaze being in possession of child sexual abuse material (CSAM).
Police obtained a search warrant and reportedly found over 700 images and videos of CSAM on Glaze’s smartphone. An arrest warrant was issued for Glaze on the charge of Aggravated Possession of Child Sexual Abuse Material.
According to the Facebook post, the 26-year-old Tulsa, Oklahoma, resident was arrested on Friday, October 18. TMZ shared Glaze’s mug shot from his arrest, adding that he was reportedly released on a $50,000 bond Friday night.
Glaze’s audition for American Idol Season 16 got people talking back in 2018, but not because of his performance. Glaze, who was 19 at the time, told the judges that he had never kissed a girl. Katy Perry told him to approach the judges’ table to kiss her.
First, Glaze kissed Perry on the cheek. When he went in for a second peck on the cheek, Perry turned her head to kiss him on the lips. The judge received backlash for the move, as Glaze said it made him “uncomfortable.”
“I wanted to save it for my first relationship. I wanted it to be special,” Glaze explained at the time. “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.”
Glaze was rejected by the show’s judges during his Season 16 audition, meaning he did not receive a Golden Ticket to Hollywood.
Words by:
Jill O'Rourke Jill O’Rourke is a contributor at Talent Recap, writing news stories and recaps for shows like ‘AGT,’ ‘The Voice,’ and ‘American Idol.’ She graduated from the University of Georgia with a degree in English and Film Studies, and has been writing about pop culture since 2012, with previous bylines at Crushable and A Plus. Jill spends her free time binge-watching sitcoms and daydreaming about life as a hobbit
