Viral 'American Idol' Contestant Benjamin Glaze Faces Disturbing Charges

Former American Idol contestant Benjamin Glaze, who went viral for kissing pop superstar Katy Perry during his audition, was arrested on child pornography charges, the Tulsa Police Department announced on its Facebook account last week.

Glaze, 26, was reportedly found to have more than 700 pieces of child sexual abuse material on a phone recovered during a search of his home following a six-month investigation.

"In April 2024, the Tulsa Police Sexual Predator/Digital Evidence Recovery Unit (Spider Unit) received information regarding criminal activity of Benjamin Glaze, a 26-year-old male who lives in Tulsa," the department said. "The report indicated that Mr. Glaze had possession of child sexual abuse material (CSAM).

"As part of the investigations, the Spider Unit obtained a search warrant for Glaze’s residence. During the search, a smartphone was recovered that was found to contain over 700 images and videos of child sexual abuse material."

Glaze's 2018 American Idol audition went viral after Perry, then a judge on the show alongside Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan, insisted he kiss her after Glaze admitted to having never been in a relationship or kissing a girl. Perry initially put out her cheek before turning for a surprise kiss on the lips with the then-19-year-old, who received three nos from the judges.

The American Idol incident sparked controversy as critics blasted Perry for allegedly assaulting a teenager, while others, including her fellow judges, defended her, claiming she was hired to make the show more interesting.

Glaze later told the New York Times that he would've said no to the kiss in hindsight as he would've preferred his first kiss "be special."