Benjamin Gleason #

Introduction #

Benjamin O. Gleason is a New York TikTok creator with more than one million followers who was arrested on March 20, 2026, and arraigned on a 17-count sealed indictment charging him with rape, predatory sexual assault and other sex crimes — allegations he has pleaded not guilty to and which have not been tested at trial. Prosecutors allege he sexually assaulted seven people, ranging in age from approximately 17 to 27, in Columbia County between 2011 and 2021. The case turned a social-media career of more than 50 million likes under the handle @benjigleason into a crime story that traveled from Albany’s local stations to national entertainment coverage. If convicted of all counts, Gleason faces a potential sentence of life in prison, according to the Columbia County District Attorney’s Office.

Background Information #

Gleason, 39 at the time of his arrest, previously lived in the Chatham area of Columbia County and most recently had been staying at a motel in Castleton-on-Hudson, according to officials cited by WRGB/CBS 6; Us Weekly described Chatham as located about a 30-mile drive southeast from Albany. On TikTok he regularly posted videos that garnered more than 50 million likes, and WNYT reported his following at more than 1.1 million. His account bio read, “I am an American artist, and your girlfriends favorite influencer.” The bio also carried a public plea for help fixing his teeth, linking to a GoFundMe he established; on that page he wrote the dental damage stemmed from drug addiction and that he had been “clean and sober for over two years.” WNYT’s reporting noted authorities said Gleason had said on the platform that he knew many of his followers were younger and mostly girls.

The Controversy or Incident That Led to Their Cancellation #

Allegations. The claims in this section are charges in a sealed Columbia County grand-jury indictment and statements by prosecutors and New York State Police. Gleason has pleaded not guilty to all 17 counts, and nothing has been adjudicated: an indictment is an accusation, the case has not gone to trial, and he is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. No finding of guilt exists against him.

According to the Columbia County District Attorney’s Office, the grand jury issued the 17-count sealed indictment on March 20, 2026, alleging that Gleason sexually assaulted multiple victims over the course of a decade. He was arrested later that day by New York State Police and taken to the Columbia County Jail ahead of his arraignment. New York State Police, announcing the arrest in a March 23 news release, said it came “following an extensive investigation.” Prosecutors say the charges include three counts of predatory sexual assault, three counts of first-degree rape by forcible compulsion, three counts of first-degree rape involving physically helpless victims, four counts of criminal sexual act in the first degree, one count of aggravated sexual abuse in the second degree, and one count of sexual abuse in the first degree. Us Weekly’s count of the charging document also listed second-degree aggravated sexual abuse, first-degree sexual abuse, a third-degree criminal sexual act, and third-degree rape. Authorities say the alleged incidents took place between 2011 and 2021 and involved seven victims ranging in age from approximately 17 to 27.

On Monday, March 23, 2026, Gleason, 39, was arraigned and pleaded not guilty to all 17 counts, according to the District Attorney’s Office. He was remanded to the Columbia County Jail following the arraignment. He is represented by defense attorney Mark Steven Portin, who did not immediately return Us Weekly’s request for comment. Prosecutors said the case was reported to New York State Police by a victim or victims within the preceding month. Authorities have not said whether Gleason used his social media platform to lure victims.

Public Reaction and Consequences #

Columbia County District Attorney Chris Liberati-Conant framed the indictment as evidence of a pattern: “The number of victims here indicates a pattern and somebody who was seeking out these younger women and then regularly abusing and or sexually assaulting them so that is one reason that we hope that if anybody else has been victimized, that they will speak out now,” he said. Liberati-Conant also said he takes sexual crimes extremely seriously and that the victims who came forward have been brave. Investigators said they wanted anyone else who may have been victimized to contact police, and NYSP said it believes there could be other victims, directing tipsters to Troop K Headquarters and case number NY2600259941. State Police thanked the Mental Health Association of Columbia and Greene counties for its assistance; the organization’s CEO, David Rossetti, described its role as standing “with and beside someone who is trying to navigate and negotiate the legal system.” The story traveled quickly from local stations — CBS 6, WNYT — to Us Weekly’s national crime coverage.

Current Status #

As of the most recent available reporting, Gleason remains remanded at the Columbia County Jail and his case is pending before the court; he has not been tried, and the charges are unproven allegations. He was scheduled to return to court on April 29, 2026. If found guilty of all counts, he could face life in prison, according to the district attorney’s office. His follower count was the hook of nearly every headline, from the Albany market’s “TikTok influencer with 1M followers arraigned” to Us Weekly’s national write-up. Investigators continue to ask anyone with information to call New York State Police Troop K Headquarters at (845) 677-7300.

Impact on Their Career/Life #

Before March 2026, Gleason’s public life was his TikTok presence: an artist’s self-presentation, more than a million followers, and a GoFundMe appeal that framed him as a recovering addict rebuilding himself. The indictment inverted that image overnight. His name is now attached to the words “rape” and “predatory” in nearly every story a reader finds about @benjigleason — CBS 6, WNYT and Us Weekly all led with the follower count that once marketed him. He faces the practical consequences of pretrial detention — remanded to the Columbia County Jail since his March 23 arraignment — and, if convicted, up to life in prison; but as of the latest reporting he has been convicted of nothing, and the alleged victims’ accounts remain allegations that prosecutors must prove at trial. The case’s outcome will determine whether his name ends up in court records as a defendant acquitted of all counts or as a sentenced offender; until that happens, the presumption of innocence governs every claim against him.