South Carolina Republican Lawmaker RJ May Arrested on Child Exploitation Charges
Columbia, S.C. (AP) — RJ May, a Republican member of the South Carolina House, has been arrested and charged with 10 counts of distributing sexual abuse material involving children. Prosecutors allege that May used the screen name “joebidennnn69” to share 220 explicit files featuring very young children on the Kik social media platform.
Arrested at his Lexington County home, May will remain in jail until his trial after a federal judge ordered no bail due to the nature of the charges and the presence of young children in his household. Each count could lead to a prison sentence ranging from five to twenty years.
During his arraignment, May’s lawyer suggested that someone else could have accessed his home Wi-Fi to upload files and argued that investigators had not definitively linked the Kik messages to May. However, prosecutors indicated that some of the files were directly connected to his internet addresses.
The investigation extended beyond the distribution of material, as prosecutors also looked into allegations regarding May’s travel to Colombia, where he was purportedly involved with underage women. Surveillance of his online activities revealed he created fake accounts, raising suspicions about his conduct.
May’s arrest has prompted significant fallout in the political sphere. Since his election in 2020, he has been a vocal member of the Freedom Caucus and actively opposed legislative measures concerning minors. Following his arrest, the caucus expelled May, and he has faced distancing from colleagues in the Statehouse.
May appeared in court visibly subdued, dressed in casual attire and visibly confined in handcuffs. As rumors surrounding his indictment circulated, his political future remains uncertain as the case unfolds.
Note: The image is for illustrative purposes only and is not the original image associated with the presented article. Due to copyright reasons, we are unable to use the original images. However, you can still enjoy the accurate and up-to-date content and information provided.
