COLUMBIA, S.C. — Robert John “RJ” May, III, a former member of the South Carolina House of Representatives, was sentenced Wednesday to more than 17 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to distributing child sexual abuse material (CSAM).
United States District Judge Cameron McGowan Currie sentenced May, 39, to 210 months in prison, followed by a 20-year term of court-ordered supervision. Additionally, May was ordered to pay $58,500 in restitution to eight identified victims and must register as a sex offender for life. There is no parole in the federal system.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Judge Currie noted during sentencing that the prison term was higher than the average for similar charges due to the extreme severity of the content May distributed.
Investigation and Evidence The investigation began in May 2024 when the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department (LCSD) received a cyber tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. The tip flagged that 50 videos containing CSAM had been uploaded from a West Columbia IP address using the mobile messaging app Kik.
Investigators traced the IP address to May. Because May was a sitting state lawmaker at the time, the case was referred to Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).
According to court documents, May utilized the Kik account “joebidennnn69” to distribute 479 videos to over 100 users across 18 states and six countries over a five-day period. The content was described as involving toddlers depicted in physical pain and subjected to humiliating sexual abuse.
HSI agents executed a search warrant on May’s home in August 2024, seizing 35 electronic devices. Forensic analysis revealed that while the Kik app had been deleted from his phone, the device’s user dictionary stored the phrase “joebidennnn” and an email address linking him to the account.
Officials React May was indicted by a federal grand jury in June 2025 and pleaded guilty to five counts of distributing child sexual abuse material in September 2025.
“He was elected to make a positive impact on his community, but instead he exploited the most innocent and vulnerable in our society. This is simply inexcusable,” said U.S. Attorney Bryan Stirling.
Kyle D. Burns, Acting Special Agent in Charge of HSI in the Carolinas, emphasized that May’s former political status offered no protection. “Those who exploit and abuse children are among the most reprehensible offenders in our society, and today’s sentencing sends a clear message: no one is above the law, regardless of their position or title,” Burns said.
The case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a Department of Justice initiative designed to combat child sexual exploitation.
* The term “child pornography” is currently used in federal statutes and is defined as any visual depiction of sexually explicit conduct involving a person less than 18 years old. While this phrase still appears in federal law, “child sexual abuse material” is preferred, as it better reflects the abuse that is depicted in the images and videos and the resulting trauma to the child. The Associated Press Stylebook also discourages the use of the phrase “child pornography.”
Sign up for our Sunday Spectator. Delivered to your inbox every Sunday, with all the news from the week.
