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Former SC Rep. RJ May to Plead Guilty to Five Counts of Distributing Child Sexual Abuse Material

A cyber-tip to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children led investigators to a Kik account linked to his home IP address and mobile device.

FILE - South Carolina Rep. RJ May, R-West Columbia, walks down the aisle of the House on Tuesday, March 14, 2023, in Columbia, South Carolina. (AP Photo/Jeffrey Collins, file)
FILE - Republican South Carolina Rep. R.J. May of Lexington sits at his new desk during the organizational session for the House on Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2024, in Columbia, S.C. (AP Photo/Jeffrey Collins, file)

Overview

  • Federal prosecutors filed the plea agreement Friday, and a judge is scheduled to consider the change of plea Monday.
  • Each count carries a potential prison term of five to twenty years and a maximum fine of up to $250,000, and the agreement requires sex‑offender registration.
  • Investigators say the Kik account using the alias “joebidennnn69” shared at least 10 child sexual abuse videos, with court filings alleging a broader exchange of 220 files over about five days in spring 2024.
  • At a hearing this week, May represented himself while seeking to suppress evidence and move the trial, as prosecutors outlined device activity they say ties him to the uploads.
  • May resigned from the South Carolina House on August 11 after an earlier suspension and has remained jailed since a judge denied bond in June.