RJ May, a former Republican lawmaker in South Carolina, is heading to jail after pleading guilty to multiple charges of distributing child pornography.
Warning: This report contains details of child sexual abuse which may be distressing to some readers.
May was a member of the state’s House of Representatives from 2020 until June this year. He was suspended by the Speaker of the House after he was indicted on the charges. He formally resigned from his position in August.
He pleaded guilty to five charges of distributing child sexual abuse material, and now faces up to 100 years in prison, a fine of $250,000 and being placed on a sex offender register for life.
The court head that May used the handle joebidennn69 on the social media platform Kik to exchange over 200 different files of toddlers and young children involved in sexual acts. Authorities have reportedly identified 21 of the 62 children depicted in the videos.
In politics May presented himself as a ‘family values’ candidate and had rallied against gender affirming health care, describing people who take medication to transition gender as “drug addiction”. He had also described drag performances as “child exploitation”.
In a speech last year, arguing against supporting transgender youth the politician said, ” “We as legislators have an obligation to ensure that our children have no harm done to them.” His political colleagues have now realised that May himself was doing the most harm.
