A California actor and producer, Shane Ryan Gledhill, 46, is facing 24 felony charges stemming from a nearly five-year investigation into allegations of child sexual abuse. Gledhill was arrested on Aug. 3 in Lompoc, California, after investigators with the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office accused him of using online casting calls to contact minors.
The investigation began in November 2021 when a 17-year-old survivor reported suspicious and inappropriate conduct by Gledhill when they were 15. This initial report led to an investigation that identified nine survivors, all of whom were minors at the time of the alleged offenses, according to the Sheriff's Office.
In February 2022, authorities executed a search warrant at Gledhill's residence, seizing thousands of digital files. A forensic examination of these files allegedly uncovered a pattern where Gledhill used online casting calls and film projects to connect with aspiring young actors. Investigators believe the alleged conduct could span approximately 25 years.
Gledhill's work has been connected to actors such as Shelley Duvall, Tom Arnold, Richard Dreyfuss, and Ed Harris. The Sheriff's Office released Gledhill's booking photograph, noting that he sometimes used the professional names 'Shane Ryan' and 'Shane Ryan-Reid' when contacting individuals. This is intended to help identify additional survivors or witnesses who might recognize him by those names rather than his legal name.
The charges against Gledhill include alleged offenses such as child molestation, rape, forcible sexual assault, contacting a minor with the intent to commit a sexual offense, possession of child sexual abuse material, and providing harmful matter to a minor. His bail is set at $2 million, and he is currently being held at the Santa Barbara County jail.
Investigators stated that they believe there may be additional survivors who have not yet come forward and that potential victims could be located along California's Central Coast, the Los Angeles area, and on the East Coast.
Gledhill has a preliminary hearing scheduled for Sept. 9 at the Santa Barbara County Superior Court's Lompoc division.