Former ‘American Idol’ Contestant Randy Madden Arrested on Sex Charges Involving Minor

Former ‘American Idol’ Contestant Randy Madden Arrested on Sex Charges Involving Minor

Former ‘American Idol’ contestant Randy Madden faces serious criminal charges after an arrest in California on multiple felony counts involving alleged crimes against a minor. The 45-year-old singer was booked by the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office on October 30 and released on November 4 after posting bail. He is expected to appear in court on November 13.

Madden, who performed ‘Livin’ on a Prayer’ by Bon Jovi during his season 8 audition, did not receive any ‘yes’ votes from the judges at the time. He has not responded to Fox News Digital’s request for comment. The singer is not the only former ‘Idol’ contestant to face legal troubles.

Benjamin Glaze, a former ‘American Idol’ contestant best known for receiving an unplanned kiss from Katy Perry during his 2018 audition, was arrested for alleged possession of child sexual abuse material in Oklahoma last year. According to the Tulsa Police Department’s Facebook page, Glaze was allegedly discovered to be in possession of such material in April 2024, after the Spider Unit received a tip about alleged criminal activity by Glaze, who was 26 years old at the time.

‘As part of the investigations, the Spider Unit obtained a search warrant for Glaze’s residence,’ according to Tulsa Police. ‘During the search, a smartphone was recovered that was found to contain over 700 images and videos of child sexual abuse material.’ An arrest warrant was issued for Glaze on October 18, 2024, and he was arrested by the Spider Unit later that day and booked into the Tulsa County Jail.

In 2018, Glaze, who was 19 at the time of his ‘Idol’ audition, took his shot in front of judges Perry, Luke Bryan, and Lionel Richie. Both Madden and Glaze now face legal consequences that have drawn attention to the broader issue of celebrities and minors in the public eye.