A 46-year-old California actor and producer, Shane Ryan Gledhill, is facing 24 felony charges following a prolonged investigation. Authorities claim he used online casting calls to contact minors as part of a decades-long pattern of child sexual abuse.
Gledhill, who resides in Lompoc, was apprehended on August 3. The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s detectives investigated these allegations for nearly five years. Initially, Gledhill was booked on 15 felony charges, but this number has increased to 24.
The inquiry began in November 2021 when a 17-year-old victim reported suspicious and inappropriate behavior from Gledhill, dating back to when she was 15. Law enforcement identified nine survivors in total, all minors at the time of the alleged offenses.
In February 2022, authorities executed a search warrant at his home in Lompoc. They confiscated thousands of digital files, which were subject to thorough forensic examination. The investigation reportedly revealed a pattern where Gledhill exploited online casting calls and filmmaking projects to approach aspiring young actors.
Gledhill is currently incarcerated at the Santa Barbara County jail. His booking photograph was publicized, as he frequently used the professional names ‘Shane Ryan’ and ‘Shane Ryan-Reid.’ Authorities believe the photo might help identify additional survivors or witnesses.
The charges against Gledhill involve serious offenses, including child molestation, rape, forcible sexual assault, contacting a minor with intent for sexual offense, possessing child sexual abuse material, and providing harmful matter to a minor.
Gledhill was arrested at his Lompoc residence on a warrant, and his bail is set at $2 million. Investigators suspect that the alleged activities might span roughly 25 years. They are searching for more survivors or witnesses, possibly located not only in California’s Central Coast but also in Los Angeles and the East Coast.
A preliminary hearing for Gledhill is scheduled for September 9 at the Santa Barbara County Superior Court’s Lompoc division.