ex-'idol' contestant ron bultongez arrested in texas ... Alleged Sex with Minor

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Ron Bultongez -- a former 'American Idol' contestant who made it pretty far during his 2018 season -- is facing multiple counts of sex with a minor in his home state.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... the singer and one-time 'Idol' sensation was arrested in Grapevine, TX when he turned himself in on July 15.

We're still gathering details of the allegations, but according to the Tarrant County D.A.'s charging documents, Bultongez is charged with 4 counts of sexual penetration of a minor under the age of 17 on 4 occasions.

In the docs, obtained by TMZ, prosecutors say the alleged incidents occurred between December 2020 and February 2021.

Bultongez was released from custody a couple days after his arrest ... once he posted a $50,000 bond. We're told he has not made his initial court appearance yet to face the charges.

We've reached out to him for comment ... but so far, no word back.

Tulsa's 'Most Wanted' Woman Gets Herself Busted ... After Asking on FB Post About Reward Money!!!

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If the show "America's Dumbest Criminals" is ever revived it's got prime content courtesy of a woman in Oklahoma who got herself arrested after commenting on Tulsa PD's "Most Wanted" Facebook post ... about her whereabouts.

So, here's the deal, Tulsa PD posted Lorraine Graves as the "Weekly Most Wanted" for accessory to murder in a homicide that went down earlier this year. Graves' comment was about the reward money. She asked, "What's where's the reward money at." Not smart.

The post was quickly flooded with comments from others ... including a woman who said, "Giiiiirl you better stay off social media they can track you!!" A man responded, "Ain't gonna be as funny when you get processed." The post drew around 1,200 comments.

The day after the post ... cops say detectives tracked down Graves and arrested her and charged her with accessory to murder. Her bond's been set at $500k.

Two other suspects had previously been arrested earlier this year and were reportedly hit with murder charges for a shooting that killed a 30-year-old man at an apartment complex.

As for the reward money ... there was a Facebook commenter wondering the same thing because the person asked, "Well did she get her reward money[?]" Guessing, hell no.

Soulja Boy Accuser Gets 3 Yr Restraining Order ... Sexual Assault Civil Suit Ongoing

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Soulja Boy has agreed to stay the hell away from a woman accusing him of sexual assault and battery ... according to new legal docs obtained by TMZ.

The woman filed for a restraining order in L.A. court back in January ... and the rapper agreed to a 3-year domestic violence restraining order, which will expire on July 16, 2024.

Neither party appeared at the restraining order hearing. They were instead repped by their attorneys. The woman who wants Soulja to stay away from her is the same woman who sued Soulja back in January claiming he hired her to be his personal assistant, then raped and assaulted her for nearly 2 years.

As we first reported ... Soulja -- who went up against Bow Wow in last month's "Verzuz" battle -- is alleged to have started abusing her shortly after he hired her in December 2018. She claimed it started with him sending unsolicited nudes before evolving into a romantic relationship that went south when he got violent.

He allegedly pushed her out of a car, and forced her to walk 5 miles. She also claims Soulja sexually assaulted her, and "expressed remorse" by paying her $1,000.

He vehemently denies the allegations, but her lawsuit is still pending.

Lil Durk Shootout in His Georgia Home ... Suspects Flee the Scene

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Lil Durk got a rude awakening, when some people busted into his home and exchanged gunfire with him and his girlfriend ... this according to law enforcement.

According to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation ... the rapper and his girlfriend, India Cox, were the victims of a home invasion and aggravated assault this past Sunday a little after 5 AM.

Law enforcement tells us several unidentified individuals entered Durk's home in the Chateau Elan neighborhood of Braselton -- about an hour outside Atlanta -- and a shootout ensued.

The GBI says Durk and India discharged their firearms, but they were not injured during the incident.

It's unclear exactly how many people allegedly entered the home, but cops are asking for tips from the public in the case as part of the investigation.

We reached out to the rapper's attorney, Nicole Moorman, who declined to comment.

England Soccer 4 Arrested For Racially Abusing Players ... Police Vow To Find More

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British police say they've arrested 4 people for racially abusing Black England soccer players following the team's Euro 2020 loss ... and officials say the hunt for more is nowhere near over.

Jadon Sancho, Marcus Rashford and Bukayo Saka -- who are all Black -- were ambushed by racial slurs on social media after they each missed key kicks in England's shootout loss to Italy on Sunday.

The comments and remarks were vile -- many featured the n-word and others contained violent threats -- and it got so bad, UK police launched an investigation into it all.

And, in an update on the probe Thursday, British officials said they've arrested four in connection with the online attacks ... adding more arrests could be coming soon.

"We are working very closely with social media platforms, who are providing data we need to progress enquiries," British police official Mark Roberts told reporters.

"If we identify that you are behind this crime, we will track you down and you will face the serious consequences of your shameful actions."

Of course, in England, it's illegal to make racist statements or threats, as there's no First Amendment protection.

Roberts went on to call England soccer players "true role models" ... adding, "I'm disgusted there are individuals out there who think it's acceptable to direct such abhorrent abuse at them, or at anybody else."

Nikolas Cruz Attacks Jail Guard on Trial for Assault Charges

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Nikolas Cruz -- the gunman responsible for killing 17 at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School -- is facing new charges for attacking a jail guard ... and the video showing the whole thing go down is chilling.

Cruz was captured on surveillance video, released in court Wednesday, in an all-out brawl with a Broward County Jail guard. Just before the attack, which happened in 2018 -- but is just now coming to light -- Cruz can be seen walking in circles with his head down.

Cruz and the guard then appear to exchange words ... the guard said in court he told Cruz not to drag his feet so he wouldn't ruin his jail-issued sandals. Cruz appears to flip him off with both hands and then charges at him. They wrestle for a bit before Cruz throws some heymakers.

Eventually, the guard takes control, after pulling out his taser, and Cruz gets on the ground and taken into custody. It does not appear the stun gun was deployed.

Cruz was was hit with battery and assault charges from the incident. The jail altercation is reportedly being tried separately from his ongoing first-degree murder case.

Cruz's attorneys say the jail guard mistreated Cruz and that he provoked the attack.

Cruz has been indicted on 34 counts for the Parkland shooting -- 17 premeditated murder, and 17 attempted murder. Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty for the school massacre.

Versace Mansion Cops Suspect Double Suicide ... On Eve of Gianni's Murder Anniversary

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8:28 AM PT -- 7/15 -- According to the police report, obtained by TMZ, responding officers found 2 men dead in a room from gunshot wounds to the head.

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Cops say the preliminary investigation leads them to believe the incident was an apparent double suicide. We're told the Miami-Dade Medical Examiner's Office will determine the official cause of death.

The famous Versace Mansion is now the scene of a death investigation -- this after cops in Miami say they found 2 dead men inside one of the luxury hotel rooms.

Miami Beach Police say they got a call Wednesday afternoon from the Versace Mansion -- housekeeping told cops staffers they had discovered 2 dead bodies inside a room.

MBPD says cops and fire rescue responded to the Versace Mansion and found the bodies ... and now detectives are investigating.

As you know, the Versace Mansion is extremely popular with celebs looking to party or spend the night ... and it's where Gianni Versace was infamously shot and killed by gunman Andrew Cunanan on July 15, 1997.

It's unclear if the 2 deaths have any connection to the macabre anniversary.

Since Gianni's murder ... his mansion has since been transformed into The Villa Casa Casuarina -- a luxury boutique hotel with 10 guest rooms.

Originally Published -- 7/14 12:21 PM

Joe Exotic Conviction Upheld ... Reacts To Potentially Lighter Sentence!!!

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3:11 PM PT -- Here's Joe Exotic reacting to the possibility of being a free man sooner than expected ... and you can hear the optimism in his voice.

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SO THANKFUL
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TMZ has obtained video of Joe calling his lawyer, John M. Phillips, and you can tell Joe is feeling good about his vacated 22-year sentence.

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Joe says he's confident his lawyers will prove his innocence so he can finally go home ... and he's also got messages for President Biden and Carole Baskin.

Joe Exotic just caught a potential break, and while he's not walking out of prison today ... he might get out a little bit sooner.

The federal appeals court in the 'Tiger King' star's case just upheld his conviction for murder-for-hire, but there's a silver lining ... his 22-year sentence has been vacated, and he'll be resentenced.

According to legal docs obtained by TMZ ... the appeals court reviewed Joe's case and upheld the conviction, but determined the U.S. District Court for the Western District in Oklahoma City made a technical error by not grouping the 2 murder-for-hire convictions at his sentencing.

So, Exotic's original sentence will be tossed, and the case is getting sent back to the lower court ... where he'll likely receive a shorter sentence now.

That's the good news, but ... even after the grouping error is corrected, he's looking at a sentence in the range of 17-21 years. Joe was convicted of murder-for-hire after all.

Still, Joe's legal team is celebrating the W. His appellate lawyer, Brandon Sample, tells us he's pleased with the appellate court’s decision. He says, "I knew when I agreed to represent Joe that an appeal would be difficult, but I also knew that the law was on Joe's side."

Sample adds, "I am optimistic that the decision today is but one of many more victories to come for Joe—and his eventual freedom."

Originally Published -- 12:42 PM PT

England Soccer's Marcus Rashford Defaced Mural Repaired ... As Anti-Racists Show Support

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Heartwarming scene in England on Tuesday ... a vandalized mural of soccer star Marcus Rashford was repaired -- all while crowds of anti-racists gathered around it to show their support.

The wall art was defaced after Rashford was one of several England players who missed crucial kicks in England's penalty shootout loss to Italy in Sunday's Euro 2020 final.

The vandalism was crass ... there were swear words and other vile things drawn on the picture of Rashford -- and police say they're treating the whole thing as a racially motivated incident.

But, the community surrounding the mural in Manchester rallied to cover up the graffiti shortly after it was tagged ... leaving messages of love and unity.

And, on Tuesday, when a street artist repaired it back to normal ... dozens showed up to cheer on and display messages of anti-racism.

"There’s been an outpouring of kind of love and solidarity," an official who helped initially put up the mural told TheJournal.ie, "and it’s really heartening."

23-year-old Rashford has dealt with a ton of abuse since Sunday's game ... in addition to the defaced mural, he and other Black stars dealt with threats and racist comments on social media.

It got so bad, Prince William released a statement condemning it all ... and police even said they'd launch an investigation into the online comments.

For his part, Rashford said in a statement Monday he's appreciated everyone who's reached out to fight back against the racism ... saying, "I'll be back stronger. We'll be back stronger."

Kyle Massey Wanted by Cops in Washington State After Missing Court

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3:38 PM PT -- A rep for the King's Co. D.A.'s Office is calling BS on Massey's attorney -- telling us they never received any type of communication from Massey or his team, "Further, Mr. Massey, nor any representatives of him, have filed anything in the Court docket."

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They continue, "It is possible that Mr. Massey’s attorney is calling the wrong office. It's also worth noting that Mr. Massey previously acknowledged the filing of the case in past media articles since the first arraignment date, which also included today’s new arraignment date. There’s no misrepresentation here. Quite simply, Mr. Massey did not appear in court."

Former Disney star Kyle Massey is now a wanted man -- TMZ has learned a Washington State judge just signed a warrant for his arrest after he missed his arraignment in his immoral communication with a minor case.

Massey had been scheduled to appear for his arraignment Monday morning in King County, but prosecutors say the kid star never showed up ... so the judge ended up signing a $100k warrant for the actor's arrest.

Massey missed his arraignment in late June, so it was re-scheduled to today ... but with Massey not showing up again, it seems the judge was fed up and now the actor's a wanted man.

As we reported ... Massey -- best known for playing Cory Baxter on Disney shows "That's So Raven" and "Cory in the House" -- was charged with 1 count of communication with a minor for immoral purposes after prosecutors allege Kyle sent pornographic material to a 13-year-old girl he knew.

Prosecutors say Massey allegedly sent sexually explicit content to the girl from December 2018 to January 2019. As we told you, the case involves the same accuser as the civil suit we covered in March 2019.

You'll recall Massey was sued for $1.5 million for allegedly sending "numerous sexually explicit text messages, images, and videos" via Snapchat. He claimed he was being extorted.

Massey’s lawyer, Lee Hutton, tells TMZ ... Massey’s legal team has made several phone calls to the King County DA’s office but claims they've not yet gotten a courtesy response.

Hutton also says Massey has not been served and says they're "concerned with the misrepresentations made in court. Indeed, we will move forward to defend these allegations but also determine why due process has not been followed."

Originally Published -- 12:47 PM PT

Boxing Champ James DeGale My Olympic Gold Medal Was Stolen ... I've Got Video Of Heist!!!

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Former boxing champ James DeGale claims he has video of a person stealing his Olympic gold medal from his parents' house ... and now, he's begging for any information that could help him ID the suspect.

The 35-year-old pugilist says security video at his folks' home caught a person wearing all black walking up to a doorway at around 9 PM on Sunday.

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WORTHLESS TO YOU, EVERYTHING TO ME

The footage is chilling ... it appears to show the person blocking the camera with some sort of bag, before breaking into the home.

DeGale claims the person walked away with his gold medal and his MBE -- a very coveted British award -- and he's now asking for any sort of help to get his stuff back.

"He took two of my prize possessions MY OLYMPIC GOLD MEDAL AND MY MBE," DeGale said. "They are worthless to anyone other than me and they are two achievements that I prize from my boxing career."

"I am gutted and need my medals back. Can anyone help by reporting any information you have. Please share far and wide."

It's unclear if police are investigating ... we're working on it.

DeGale won the gold medal in the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing ... and he later went on to earn the IBF super-middleweight title in 2015 -- becoming the 1st British boxer to win both honors.

He ultimately piled up a career record of 25-3-1 ... scoring 15 total knockouts.

Drake Bell Sentenced to 2 Years of Probation ... For Child Endangerment

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"MY CONDUCT WAS WRONG"

Drake Bell won't be doing any time behind bars in his child endangerment case -- a judge just announced his fate, and the actor ended up getting probation instead.

The former Nickelodeon star was sentenced Monday in an Ohio court ... receiving 2 years of probation -- to be supervised in California, where he lives -- plus 200 hours of community service. If he doesn't keep his nose clean, he could face up to one year in prison on the felony charge of attempted endangering children -- to which he's pled guilty.

DB took the punishment in stride, saying he accepted it ... while also apologizing, explaining that it wasn't his intention to do harm, but that he's sorry to the girl and anyone else he hurt over this matter.

The woman, however, said he'd done irreparable harm -- issuing a victim impact statement via Zoom, and detailing what exactly this is all about. She claims they began exchanging messages online in 2017 (when she was 15), which she says eventually turned sexual in nature and included photos. She says this all happened over IG and Snap.

She went on to allege that she attended a concert of his back then, and that afterward ... he took her backstage to be alone -- where she claims she performed oral sex on him. Drake was seen shaking his head a few times during her remarks.

You'll recall, Drake was officially charged over this just earlier this year -- even though she filed a police report back in 2018. Up until now, it wasn't quite clear what sort of messages Drake was alleged to have sent to the minor -- but she shed a bit more light on it in her appearance.

Drake didn't put up much of a fight here, BTW. After initially pleading not guilty, he ended up copping a plea, acknowledging his actions and the consequences they could hold.

Jodie Turner-Smith Police Report in Cannes ... Over stolen jewelry from hotel

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Jodie Turner-Smith's Cannes Film Festival visit came to an abrupt halt this weekend -- this after having to talk to cops about someone jacking her jewels ... according to a new report.

The "Queen & Slim" actress -- who was there promoting her new film, "After Yang" -- filed a police report Sunday after an alleged theft from her hotel room from this past Friday, which left her out a ton of money ... so says Variety, citing sources familiar with the situation.

The outlet reports that Jodie spent a good amount of time with officers Sunday ... something she herself shed some light on through her Twitter account, writing -- "didn’t think i would be spending 2.5 hours in the police station on my final day in cannes, but here we are…"

According to Variety ... the estimated value of the jewelry taken was somewhere in the ballpark of several tens of thousands of euros -- which is a heck a lot of greenbacks, too.

There's also this ... apparently, there was no sign of forced entry into Jodie's hotel suite -- rumored to have been at the Marriott there in town -- which requires a key card to get in. In other words ... the implication is that it could possibly be an inside job, and cops are investigating.

Ex-'NCIS' Star Zoe McLellan Wanted for Kidnapping ... Ex-Hubby Says She's Gone, Baby Gone

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Zoe McLellan -- an actress most famous from 'NCIS' -- has up and vanished with her and her ex's kid ... so claims the father ... who got a court involved, which has branded her as wanted.

Court records obtained by TMZ show an arrest warrant out of L.A. County was issued for Zoe a few months ago in May ... with outstanding charges of kidnapping, child custody deprivation and child stealing alleged against her for an issue dating back to 2017.

We covered the drama back then -- McLellan's ex-husband, J.P. Gillian, was in a custody war with her over their then 4-year-old, Sebastian ... whom Gillian claimed McLellan was taking to Toronto while she filmed "Designated Survivor" without his permission or consent.

It appears that ended up happening ... except, now, Gillian says he hasn't seen or heard from McLellan OR his boy since at least April 2019. His attorney, Lawrence Markey, tells us ... the child is still missing, and that Gillian and co. believe the kid is still with Zoe.

It doesn't appear she's been hauled in yet -- there's no record of her arrest within the L.A. County Sheriff's Office. Sources familiar with the case say last Gillian heard ... McLellan was said to be somewhere near NOLA. But again, we're told Gillian doesn't know their whereabouts now -- or their status for that matter. We're told they're virtually off the grid.

It's a pretty wild story ... made even more eyebrow raising by the fact that McLellan doesn't appear to have acted in anything major since 2019. So, there too she's kinda vanished.

We've tried reaching to McLellan's lawyers for comment ... so far, no word back.

Upstate NY Cop Punches Woman Square in Throat During Wild Walmart Arrest

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A police officer from upstate NY is on leave after he punched a woman he was arresting right in the throat -- knocking her flat on the ground ... and it's all on video.

The DeWitt Police Dept. released body cam footage -- which they spliced together -- showing what led up to the scuffle inside an East Syracuse Walmart on July 4 ... where the cops were dispatched on reports of women fighting inside, and allegedly using pepper spray.

When the cop in question showed -- who has since been ID'd as Rory Spain -- he tried separating the quarreling parties ... and ended up restraining the lady he ultimately punched, Tyreana Edmonds, with handcuffs. As he attempted to lead her away, things escalated.

In the video, you see Edmonds apparently try and bite Officer Spain's arm ... after which, he cocks his arm back, with his fist balled up, and unloads on the front of her neck. The punch lands, and Edmonds is tossed back ... falling hard to the ground after absorbing the blow.

You can hear people around who are filming react in outrage ... and when they approach, Officer Spain tells them to get back. He and his fellow officers arrested her and others involved in the prior altercation ... and they all face multiple charges over this.

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Edmonds has reportedly also been hit with 2nd-degree attempted assault of a police officer ... presumably because of what appeared to be her going for his skin. As for Officer Spain, he's on paid administrative leave while the department investigates ... which is SOP.

Charlottesville Robert E. Lee Statue Coming Down 4 Yrs After Infamous Clash

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The Robert E. Lee statue in Charlottesville is finally coming down ... nearly 4 years after it played a central role in sparking the violent rally where Heather Heyer was killed.

Crews started working early Saturday morning to remove the monument to the Confederate general from a city park.

The monumental event drew a crowd of spectators who cheered when the statue was finally lifted off its pedestal. The crews are expected to remove another nearby statue too -- that one of another Confederate general ... Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson.

Calls for the city to take down the tributes to the failed Confederacy were what ignited the "Unite the Right" rally back in 2017 ... where neo-Nazis with tiki torches walked through the University of Virginia campus chanting about white supremacy.

That drew counter protesters and sparked the violent clash where James Fields eventually plowed through a crowd with his car, killing Heyer. He was sentenced to life in prison in 2019 for her murder and hate crimes.

Then-President Trump infamously reacted to the deadly incident by saying there was "blame on both sides."

As the Lee statue was coming down Saturday, Charlottesville Mayor Nikuyah Walker addressed the crowd and reporters, saying ... "Taking down this statue is one small step closer to the goal of helping Charlottesville, Virginia, and America, grapple with the sin of being willing to destroy Black people for economic gain."

It's unclear where the statues will go now. By law, the city had to accept bids from people or institutions interested in taking them. Charlottesville reportedly 10 offers and the city council will make the final call.