‘American Idol’ contestant who went viral over Katy Perry kiss arrested for child porn

A erstwhile “American Idol” contestant who went viral for kissing Katy Perry during his audition for the contention amusement has been arrested connected kid pornography charges, authorities successful Oklahoma said Friday.

Benjamin Glaze, 26, was taken into custody Friday day aft cops recovered much than 700 images of videos of kid intersexual maltreatment worldly connected his cellphone, the Tulsa Police Department said successful a quality release.

The probe into Glaze began successful April 2024, aft the department’s Sexual Predator/Digital Evidence Recovery Unit received a extremity astir imaginable “criminal activity” involving the suspect.

“The study indicated that Mr. Glaze had possession of kid intersexual maltreatment material,” officials said.

After constabulary obtained a hunt warrant for his residence, investigators recovered his smartphone, which was said to incorporate the illicit images.

Glaze was arrested Friday and booked into Tulsa County Jail. He has since been released connected a $50,000 bond, TMZ reported.

Glaze made national headlines immoderate six years agone aft helium was concisely kissed connected the lips by popstar Katy Perry during his audition for “American Idol.” Perry, known for hits including “I Kissed a Girl and I Liked It,” served arsenic a justice for the singing contention from 2018 done 2024.

During his audition, erstwhile the aspiring instrumentalist was asked if helium had ever kissed a girl, helium said helium hadn’t due to the fact that he’d ”never been successful a relationship” and couldn’t buss a miss without being successful one.

That’s erstwhile Perry motioned for him to travel implicit to the judge’s table and jokingly kissed him connected the lips.

While the then-19-year-old “Idol” hopeful didn’t beforehand successful the competition, the country rapidly went viral.

Speaking with the New York Times soon aft the occurrence aired, Glaze said the buss made him feel “uncomfortable immediately.”

“I was raised successful a blimpish family,” helium said. “I wanted my archetypal buss to beryllium special.”