Shane Ryan Gledhill, a 46-year-old actor and producer from Lompoc, California, has been charged with 24 felony counts related to alleged child sexual abuse. The charges stem from an investigation by the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office, which began in November 2021 after a 17-year-old survivor reported inappropriate conduct involving Gledhill when she was 15. Gledhill was initially arrested on August 3 and booked on 15 felony charges, which later increased to 24. The investigation, lasting nearly five years, identified nine survivors, all of whom were minors at the time of the alleged offenses.
Authorities executed a search warrant at Gledhill's residence in February 2022, seizing thousands of digital files for forensic examination. The investigation revealed that Gledhill allegedly used online casting calls and film projects to contact aspiring young actors. The Sheriff's Office has released Gledhill's booking photograph to assist in identifying additional survivors or witnesses, as he reportedly used professional names such as 'Shane Ryan' and 'Shane Ryan-Reid.'
The charges against Gledhill include child molestation, rape, forcible sexual assault, and possession of child sexual abuse material. He is currently held at the Northern Branch Jail with bail set at $2 million. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for September 9 at the Santa Barbara County Superior Court's Lompoc division.