Source: abcnews.go.com 1/13/26
Prosecutors are seeking a 20-year sentence for a former South Carolina legislator who pleaded guilty to distributing child sex abuse videos on social media
COLUMBIA, S.C. — Prosecutors are asking a judge to sentence a former Republican South Carolina legislator to 20 years in prison for sending hundreds of videos of children being sexually abused to people across the country on social media as he advocated for several laws meant to protect kids.
RJ May is asking the judge for mercy and a five-year sentence, saying he was addicted to pornography and screens made worse by an increased sex drive from testosterone treatments. He said he wants a chance outside prison to be an example of how easily porn can destroy lives and families.
Judge Cameron McGowan Currie will listen to both sides Wednesday before handing down her decision in a federal courtroom just blocks from where May used to be a member of the South Carolina House.
May, 39, pleaded guilty in September to what prosecutors in court papers called a “five-day child pornography spree” in the spring of 2024.
May, who resigned earlier this year, is accused of using the screen name “joebidennnn69” to exchange 220 different files of toddlers and young children on the Kik social media network, according to court documents that graphically detailed the videos.
Prosecutors said May revictimized those children every time he shared a file. They said his crime showed extra hypocrisy as he voted eight times for laws protecting children or strengthening penalties for abusing them.
Oh no it wasn’t hypocrisy. He voted that way deliberately. So as to try make sure the public would never suspect him of something like this. But it never occurred to him that eventually members of the public would start to ask themselves “Why is this guy so obsessed with this stuff? It’s all he ever talks about.”
Karma. He will now endure a fate he fought so hard to inflict on others. I am sorry for his family and, to some extent him, because no one should have to endure the registry and its consequences.
Wish I could agree it is Karma, but he brought this on himself (and his family/friends). He knew what he was doing despite his younger years. If there were problems from then, then he should’ve addressed them. Maybe this was his was of saying to himself he needed help, but he couldn’t find the way to do it and took a lot of people down with him because of his legislative actions. Maybe he felt he was invincible as a legislator and could get away with it. Maybe he wanted retribution against those of yesterday who inflicted harm upon him. Whatever it may be, he unnecessarily made life harder and worse for many who did not deserve it because of his own thinking and actions.
He will certainly get the eye for an eye treatment now for the rest of his life and will understand consequences of his own actions (personally & legislatively) whether living in SC or VA with his father. Maybe when he is released, he can speak more to the outcomes of his legislative actions related to PFRs as he lives them along with the issues with the materials he partook in.
“He said he wants a chance outside prison to be an example of how easily porn can destroy lives and families.”
So now only after getting caught he feels that way and NOT before while on his soap box advocating for “tough on crime” against this?
LOL so much irony and hypocrisy to unpack here.
My first question is why isn’t the DA or aide that watched the media in order to “graphically detail” them to the court being charged for accessing CP? If viewing “re-victimizes” those depicted, how is that viewership excluded? And why isn’t “graphic detailing” considered distribution?
According to FAC, he got 17.5 years on his actions against minors, but had other allegations of abusing women overseas (which couldn’t be found to testify).
Give him 5,000 years of hard labor carrying all of his BS he supported as a lawmaker. He would never have shown any mercy to any of us, so why should we be merciful to him.
This person’s actions and their consequences gives truth to the words of Jesus when he said, “For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”
Christians and those making our laws should consider how their personal actions may be judged by a higher authority when it comes to their willful choice to condemn others.