Former American Idol contestant Benjamin Glaze sentenced to 25 years in prison on child pornography charges

Benjamin Glaze, a former American Idol contestant who gained national attention after a kiss from Katy Perry during his 2016 audition, has been sentenced to 25 years in prison on child pornography charges. Glaze, 26, pleaded guilty to aggravated possession of child sexual abuse material, Tulsa Police said. The sentence was handed down on September 15, the department added.

Prosecutors said Glaze possessed more than 700 photos and videos depicting child sexual abuse on his phone, which led to his October arrest. After his arrest, he was briefly released from Tulsa County Jail on a $50,000 bond, TMZ reported.

Glaze rose to national notoriety in 2016 after his audition for American Idol, during which Katy Perry kissed him on stage. The moment, which Perry defended as a spontaneous reaction, became a viral talking point and sparked criticism toward the pop star for kissing a then-20-year-old contestant who had said he had never been in a relationship and was uncomfortable with the situation. Glaze did not advance to Hollywood, but the kiss helped propel him into a brief wave of fame.

In public comments at the time, Glaze defended Perry, posting on Instagram that he did not think he was sexually harassed and that he was simply uncomfortable given he had never been kissed before. "I do not think I was sexually harassed by Katy Perry. I was uncomfortable in a sense of how I have never been kissed before and was not expecting it," he wrote. He later told the New York Times that he was "a tad uncomfortable" and had "wanted to save it for my first relationship," noting that he would have declined if Perry had asked before the moment occurred.

Jenny Glaze’s case has also been linked to broader conversations about how viewers interpret on-air moments and the boundaries of celebrity influence. Luke Bryan, Perry’s co-judge at the time, defended the singer and noted that critiques from the show can be unpredictable. "I gotta back Katy on that. We’re going to get it right sometimes and wrong sometimes. We’re in there critiquing people," Bryan said in an interview referenced by reports at the time.

Legal and ethical discussions surrounding Glaze’s case have centered on the severity of the child pornography charges and the life-long impact of such material. Tulsa Police did not detail the judge’s ruling beyond noting the sentence. Glaze’s conviction follows a months-long investigation into digital material alleged to involve minors, underscoring the ongoing public safety emphasis on online exploitation.

The case illustrates how a single public moment can be tied to a long trajectory of separate legal issues. While Glaze’s 2016 audition briefly reshaped his public visibility, his 2025 conviction places him in a very different narrative about accountability and culpability. As prosecutors and investigators continue to pursue cases involving child sexual abuse material, the outcome in Tulsa serves as a reminder of the legal consequences that accompany possession and distribution of such material, regardless of past fame or momentary notoriety.