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Republican Robert John "RJ" May III, 38, used the screen name "joebidennnn69" to exchange child sexual abuse material.
A Republican former member of the South Carolina House of Representatives pleaded guilty on Monday to five federal counts of distributing child sexual abuse material.
Robert John "RJ" May III, 38, faces five to 20 years in prison on each charge and a fine of up to $250,000, according to his plea agreement via The Associated Press. He will also have to register as a sex offender.
May agreed to change his plea to guilty on Friday after a hearing in which prosecutors linked him to the uploading and downloading of the files, as well as messages on the app Kik asking for “Bad moms. Bad dads. Bad pre teens.” The prosecution also presented videos obtained from May's laptop that showed him having sex with three girls whom they stated they have not been able to locate, but believe to be underage and paid by May for the acts.
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The investigation into May began in Spring, 2024 when the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children received a tip from Kik that flagged several videos from the username “joebidennnn69” as containing child sexual abuse. Investigators traced the account to May's home IP address and mobile device, discovering 220 different files involving toddlers and young children, the U.S. District Attorney's Office for the District of South Carolina announced at the time.
May was indicted on ten counts of distributing child sexual abuse material in June, and has been in jail since after a judge denied him bail. He finally resigned from his seat in the state House of Representatives in August, though he did not acknowledge the charges against him, only writing that “it is in the best interests of my family and constituents to resign immediately.”
May, who does not have a law degree, has been acting as his own attorney. He was in the middle of his third term after first being elected in 2020. He has a wife and two young children.
If you or someone you know has experienced sexual violence, the National Sexual Assault Hotline is available 24/7 with free and confidential services. If you or someone you know has experienced trafficking, or if you suspect someone is a victim of trafficking, the National Human Trafficking Hotline is also available at 1-888-373-7888, toll-free and 24/7. For cases involving minors, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children is available 24/7 at 1-800-843-5678. More resources are available here.
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