In October 2024, Oklahoma authorities arrested former American Idol singer Benjamin Glaze on possession of child p*rnography charges. Nearly one year later, the season 16 contestant, whose Idol audition went viral when judge Katy Perry kissed him on the lips, has learned his fate.
Videos by American Songwriter
According to a Facebook post from the Tulsa Police Department, Glaze, 26, pleaded guilty on Sept. 15 to aggravated possession of child s*xual abuse material. District Judge Doug Drummond handed down a 25-year-sentence. The Tulsa man must serve 15 years in prison, followed by a 10-year suspended sentence. Additionally, Glaze must register as a s*x offender.
Per authorities, the Tulsa Police Sexual Predator/Digital Evidence Recovery Unit began investigating Glaze in April 2024 after a mental health counselor reported that he had confessed to a child p*rnography addiction. After securing a search warrant for his home, police found a smartphone containing more than 700 images and videos of child s*xual abuse material.
Police booked him into the Tulsa County jail, where he was later released on $50,000 bond.
Glaze could have faced up to life in prison and a $10,000 fine for the felony charge.
[RELATED: Former ‘American Idol’ Star Arrested on Domestic Violence Charge]
‘American Idol’ Hopeful Spoke About “Uncomfortable” Moment with Katy Perry
Hoping to make it to Hollywood, Benjamin Glaze auditioned for season 16 of American Idol in front of judges Luke Bryan, Katy Perry, and Lionel Richie. The then 19-year-old cashier belted the self-penned “Stadium,” along with Nick Jonas’ 2015 single “Levels.”
However, one moment with now-former judge Perry far overshadowed his performance. Glaze told judges that one perk of his job as a cashier was the opportunity to meet “cute girls,” prompting Bryan to ask, “Have you kissed a girl and liked it?” (This was a coy reference to Katy Perry’s breakout 2008 single “I Kissed a Girl.”)
Glaze said that he had not, explaining, “I have never been in a relationship and I can’t kiss a girl without being in a relationship.”
That’s when the “Roar” singer beckoned him over, requesting a peck on the cheek. As Glaze leaned into oblige, Perry turned her head at the last second to kiss him on the lips.
“Katy!” he exclaimed, collapsing to the floor. “You didn’t!”
While Glaze denied feeling s*xually harassed, he did concede that he would have turned Perry down if she had requested a kiss.
“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,” he told the New York Times. “I wanted my first kiss to be special.”
Featured image by Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images/Mark Levine
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