A federal grand jury in Greenville returned a 10-count indictment against Robert John May III, 38, of West Columbia, for distributing child sexual abuse material
LEXINGTON, S.C. โ South Carolina State Rep. Robert John “R.J.” May III is facing a 10-count indictment for distributing child sexual abuse material, handed down by a federal grand jury convened in Greenville.
U.S. Attorney Bryan Stirling confirmed May’s indictment Thursday morning. The 38-year-old Lexington County lawmaker was set to appear in federal court in Columbia.
Court documents and statements made in court record that the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children received a cyber-tip in April 2024 from the social messaging app KIK. KIK flagged several videos from the username โjoebidennnn69โ as containing child sexual abuse. Investigators were able to connect the account to the home IP address and mobile device of May and identified at least 10 videos depicting child sexual abuse that were shared from the account.
May was arrested Wednesday and booked at the Lexington County Detention Center.ย
May faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison with a minimum of five years, a fine of $250,000, and a term of at least five years of supervised release to follow any term of imprisonment.
May had been serving as the vice chair of the South Carolina Freedom Caucus until mid-2024. The group sent out a statement on social media Wednesday, June 11, after May’s arrest, calling for his immediate resignation from the SC House.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the U.S. Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneysโ Offices and the Criminal Divisionโs Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals, who sexually exploit children, as well as to identify and rescue victims.ย
May has represented House District 88 in Lexington County since 2021. ย May was just reelected in November 2024 after facing no opposition in the primary or general election.ย
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