Actor charged with 24 felony counts in alleged child sexual abuse case

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A California actor and producer is facing 24 felony charges after investigators said he used online casting calls to contact minors as part of an alleged pattern of child sexual abuse spanning decades.

Shane Ryan Gledhill, 46, of Lompoc, was arrested Aug. 3 after Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s detectives spent nearly five years investigating accusations of exploitation.

Gledhill, whose work involved projects connected to actors including Shelley Duvall, Tom Arnold, Richard Dreyfuss and Ed Harris, was initially booked on 15 felony charges. That total has now climbed to 24.

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Shane Gledhill faces the camera against a plain gray background.

The investigation began in November 2021, when a 17-year-old survivor approached Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s investigators about what they described as suspicious and inappropriate conduct involving Gledhill when she was 15, according to authorities.

That initial report led to an investigation that eventually identified nine survivors, the Sheriff’s Office said. All were minors at the time of the alleged offenses.

In February 2022, investigators executed a search warrant at his residence in Lompoc. Investigators seized thousands of digital files, which underwent an extensive forensic examination.

The Sheriff’s Office said the investigation uncovered a pattern in which Gledhill allegedly used online casting calls and film-making projects to contact aspiring young actors.

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an exterior shot of Santa Barbara County jail

That detail prompted authorities to publicly release his booking photograph.

“The Sheriff’s Office is releasing Gledhill’s booking photograph because detectives believe he often used the professional names ‘Shane Ryan’ and ‘Shane Ryan-Reid’ when contacting aspiring actors and filmmakers.”

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The press release continued, “Individuals who interacted with him under those names may not recognize his legal name. Detectives hope the photograph will assist in identifying additional survivors or witnesses.”

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.

Gledhill was taken into custody at his Lompoc home on an arrest warrant and booked into the Northern Branch Jail. His bail is set at $2 million.

“Based on evidence developed during the investigation, detectives believe there may be additional survivors who have not yet been identified or come forward,” the press release shared.

Investigators believe the alleged conduct could span roughly 25 years, with potential survivors or witnesses located not only along California’s Central Coast but also in the Los Angeles area and on the East Coast.

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Gledhill has a preliminary hearing set for Sept. 9 at Santa Barbara County Superior Court’s Lompoc division.

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