Federal prosecutors in the United States have urged a judge to impose a 20-year prison sentence on a former South Carolina state legislator who admitted to distributing hundreds of videos depicting child sexual abuse.
The Hypocrisy of a Lawmaker's Crimes
RJ May, a 39-year-old ex-Republican member of the South Carolina House of Representatives, pleaded guilty in September to federal charges related to what officials termed a "five-day child pornography spree" in the spring of 2024. The case, heard in a Columbia federal courtroom, reveals a stark contrast between May's public advocacy and private actions.
While publicly championing legislation to protect children, May was secretly using the screen name "joebidennnn69" on the Kik social media network. According to graphic court documents, he exchanged 220 different files showing toddlers and young children being sexually abused, sending them to individuals across the country.
Prosecutors emphasised the profound hypocrisy, noting May had voted at least eight times for laws designed to safeguard children or increase penalties for their abusers. "He chose to amplify and compound their abuse," prosecutors wrote, arguing he revictimised the children each time he shared a file.
A Plea for Mercy Versus Demands for Justice
As Judge Cameron McGowan Currie prepares to deliver her sentence, a stark divide exists between the prosecution's demands and the defence's plea for leniency. Federal probation guidelines suggest a term of 17 to 22 years.
In a personal note to the judge, May, who resigned earlier this year, apologised repeatedly and begged for a five-year sentence. He blamed a pornography addiction exacerbated by testosterone treatments, claiming he wished to become an example of how porn "can destroy lives and families." He lamented the loss of his family, possessions, and reputation, writing, "My arrest marked the swift and total destruction of all my hopes and dreams."
His defence submitted seven letters from relatives detailing a difficult childhood with an abusive mother, his academic success, and a scholarship to study in Dubai. His father offered him a place to live and work on a Virginia farm upon release.
Prosecutors countered with victim impact statements, detailing the enduring trauma caused by the endless circulation of such abusive imagery. They underscored the severity of operating a "degrading child pornography distribution scheme."
Life-Altering Consequences Await
Regardless of the sentence length, May faces severe lifelong penalties. He must pay $72,000 in restitution to his victims, register as a sex offender permanently, and will be barred from voting or owning firearms as a convicted felon.
The fall from grace is particularly jarring given May's political trajectory. He was in his third term and pushing the state Republican party in a more conservative direction before his arrest. In a bitter irony, during a House debate on transgender care for minors in January 2024, May stated, "We as legislators have an obligation to insure that our children have no harm done to them." The judge's decision will now determine the price he pays for betraying that very obligation.
