Hollywood Actor Arrested for Sexual Abuse of Teen Girl
A Hollywood actor and producer has been arrested for allegedly sexually abusing a teenage girl during a casting call.
After a comprehensive five-year investigation, the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office took Shane Ryan Gledhill, 46, into custody on 24 felony charges related to child sexual abuse, as reported by the department.
Professionally known as Ryan Reid, Gledhill has a filmography of 125 acting credits and 241 producing credits. He has collaborated with notable actors such as Shelley Duvall, Tom Arnold, Richard Dreyfuss, and Ed Harris, though his work primarily focuses on low-budget, direct-to-video films.
The investigation began with a victim who claimed she was exploited at age 15 during a casting call orchestrated by Gledhill. Following her report, nine other girls came forward with similar accusations.
In 2022, authorities seized various files and digital devices from Gledhill’s residence, initiating an extensive forensic review of the evidence.
Gledhill reportedly used several aliases to arrange casting calls, prompting the Sheriff’s Office to release his booking photo to alert potential victims. The department stated, “Detectives believe he frequently used his professional names ‘Shane Ryan’ and ‘Shane Ryan-Reid’ to connect with aspiring actors and filmmakers.” This could mean that those who interacted with him aren’t familiar with his legal name, which is a concern.
Charges against Gledhill include child sexual abuse, rape, forcible sexual assault, contact with a minor with intent to commit a sex crime, possession of child sexual abuse material, and providing harmful items to a minor.
Currently, Gledhill is being held in the Northern Branch Jail with a bail set at $2 million.
Authorities suspect that there might be additional victims over the 25 years Gledhill has been involved in casting calls, and they urge anyone who believes they may have been victimized to reach out to the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office. “Based on evidence uncovered during the investigation, detectives believe there may be additional survivors who have not yet come forward,” the sheriff’s office stated.
