Who is Benjamin Glaze and why was he arrested? Charges explored as American Idol contestant faces 25 years of imprisonment

Benjamin Glaze has been sentenced to twenty-five years' imprisonment. He is a former contestant on American Idol and snagged viewers’ attention when Katy Perry kissed him during his audition.

On October 18, 2024, following a tip-off to the police that he allegedly possessed child p*rn, Tulsa's Sexual Predator/Digital Evidence Recovery Unit searched Glaze’s premises.  

The Tulsa Police Department, in their news release, stated that an arrest warrant was issued for Glaze after they found more than 700 images and videos of child sexual abuse material.

The TV personality was located and arrested on September 18, 2024, and booked into the Tulsa County jail.

TMZ reported that he was charged with aggravated possession of child pornography and was released on a $50k bond the same day. 

Another post by the Tulsa police reveals that Benjamin Glaze pleaded guilty to his charges on September 15, 2025, and was sentenced to 25 years.

Fifteen years will be spent in prison while the other ten years have been suspended. Glaze will also register as a sex offender.

Benjamin Glaze’s road to fame explored as TV personality is sent to jail

Glaze rose to fame during his appearance as a contestant on the sixteenth season of American Idol. His interaction with the judges Katy Perry, Lionel Richie and Luke Bryant went viral.
 

The then 19-year-old Glaze told the judges that he had never been in a relationship or kissed a girl. Katy Perry then offered to give him one. As Glaze made to peck the Wide Awake singer on the cheek, she turned and kissed him on the mouth.

The contestant looked flustered when it was time to perform his track. He asked for water, admitting that he was too nervous to sing after sharing a kiss with Katy Perry. After drinking the water offered, Glaze performed for the judges.

The judges were not impressed by his vocals and encouraged him to return to the show after he had honed his craft.  

In an interview with The New York Times in March 2018, Glaze stated that he was uncomfortable with the kiss:

"Would I have done it if she said, ‘Would you kiss me?’ No, I would have said no,” he said. “I was raised in a conservative family, and I was uncomfortable immediately. I wanted my first kiss to be special.”

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