- Benjamin Glaze, 26, competed on American Idol in 2016
- Glaze got a kiss from judge Katy Perry after saying he’d never been kissed
- Police say 700 images and videos of sexual abuse of minors were discovered
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An American Idol contestant who went viral after Katy Perry kissed him during his 2016 audition has been arrested for alleged child pornography possession.
Per TMZ, 26-year-old Benjamin Glaze was arrested on Friday afternoon after Tulsa Police Department’s Sexual Predator/Digital Evidence Recovery Unit received a tip.
Glaze was booked at the city’s county jail and released on a $50,000 bond later that night.
According to police, a warrant led them to discover over 700 images and videos showing sexual abuse of minors on his mobile device.
Perry, 39, faced backlash for kissing a then-19-year-old Benjamin after he told judges during his audition that he’d never been kissed before.
Former American Idol contestant Benjamin Glaze, who went viral after Katy Perry kissed him during his 2016 audition, has been arrested for alleged child porn possession
Perry, 39, faced backlash for kissing a then-19-year-old Benjamin after he told judges during his audition that he’d never been kissed before
Following the viral on-air smooch, Benjamin came to Katy’s defense in a lengthy social media post.
‘I do not think I was sexually harassed by Katy Perry,’ he wrote at the time.
He added, ‘I was uncomfortable in a sense of how I have never been kissed before and was not expecting it.
‘My main goal is to reach people through the universal love of music and not cause strife or anger against anyone or about any situation!’
Glaze was in his late teens when he auditioned for American Idol in October 2015 with a self-written song called Stadium.
He received much press for the lip-lock, but did not win over the judges and progress in the singing competition.
‘I do wish I would have performed better in the moment,’ Benjamin, who comes from a conservative Oklahoma family, added in his Instagram statement.
He also said in retrospect: ‘I should have picked another song to sing and calmed myself down regardless of the kiss. I should have been able to perform under pressure.’
Following the viral on-air smooch, Benjamin came to Katy’s defense in a lengthy social media post
He received much press for the lip-lock several years ago, but did not win over the judges and progress in the singing competition
The 143 music artist was also defended by her co-judge Luke Bryan shortly after the incident.
As the country crooner was interviewed by The Morning Show host Larry Emdur, he said, ‘It’s unfortunate that stuff like that turns into a story that big. I watched an actual interview where the kid said that he was cool with everything.’
He added, ‘I gotta back Katy on that. We (the judges) are going to get it right sometimes and wrong sometimes.
‘We’re in there critiquing people. They say something one day that not everyone is going to like. That’s just what you signed up for.’
