A former South Carolina Republican lawmaker who campaigned to ban drag shows and gender-affirming healthcare for minors has pleaded guilty to distributing child sexual abuse material.
RJ May III, 38, resigned from the state House of Representatives in August, two months after being charged with 10 counts of distributing sexual abuse material involving children.
Investigators allege that May used the screen name “joebidennnn69” on the messaging app Kik to share illegal content. Authorities linked the account to his home IP address and mobile device.
Plea Deal and Charges
The case, originally scheduled for trial in October, ended with a plea deal on Monday (29 September). Under the agreement, May admitted to five counts, while the remaining charges were dropped. In exchange, he gave up his right to a jury trial and agreed to forfeit his right to vote, hold public office, own a gun or serve on a jury.
South Carolina’s U.S. Attorney Bryan Stirling said the five remaining counts involved “some of the most depraved stuff I’ve ever seen or heard about,” noting that investigators found more than 200 unique videos depicting the abuse of children, including infants and toddlers.
“We have 21 victims we were able to identify, 62 overall,” Stirling said. “The conduct found more than 200 unique videos, each one showing a child being sexually abused: infants, toddlers, the most vulnerable among us.”
Stirling described May’s actions as “deplorable, depraved and disgusting” and said the plea deal ensures he will serve time in federal prison.
May faces up to 20 years in prison on each count, fines of up to $250,000 (£186,000), and mandatory sex offender registration when sentenced in January.
From “Protecting Childhood Innocence” to Betrayal
Two years ago, May spoke in favour of banning gender-affirming care for transgender youth, describing it as a measure to “protect childhood innocence.” He also supported bans on trans inclusion in sport and drag performances, labelling drag shows “inherently sexual” and arguing that anyone under 18 should be barred from attending them.
“Children should not attend any sort of adult entertainment where folks have sexualised agendas. That’s beyond the pale,” he said at the time.
“As a state, we say that they can’t make a decision on a tattoo, they can’t make a decision on purchasing alcohol, they can’t make a decision on voting, yet we’re going to allow them to have permanent, life-altering surgery,” he claimed during a House debate.
Representative Nancy Mace, now running for governor, condemned May’s guilty plea.
“The allegations against former South Carolina state representative RJ May aren’t just vile, they’re evil,” she said. “He betrayed children, the public trust and the most-basic standards of human decency.”
A special election to fill May’s vacant seat will be held in December. Five Republicans and one Democrat have entered the race.
