GOP Member Now Faces 100 Years for Distributing Child Sexual Abuse Material • Franknez.com

In a stunning turn that has rocked South Carolina’s far-right political scene, former state Rep. Robert John “RJ” May III—founder of the ultra-conservative Freedom Caucus—has pleaded guilty to federal charges of distributing child sexual abuse material, just weeks before his trial was set to kick off.

The 38-year-old Republican, who resigned from the House last month amid the scandal, faces up to 100 years behind bars after admitting to swapping over 200 explicit files of toddlers and young children on a messaging app under the bizarre screen name “joebidennnn69.”

May, a three-term lawmaker from West Columbia known for his firebrand stances on everything from education vouchers to battling “woke” policies, signed the plea papers on Friday in a last-minute pivot that prosecutors say spares victims the trauma of a public trial.

He’s due in federal court Monday to make it official, acting as his own lawyer without a law degree—a move that’s raised eyebrows even among legal watchers.

Details of the Disturbing Case

Each of the five counts carries a maximum 20-year sentence, plus mandatory sex offender registration and fines up to $250,000 a pop.

The probe traces back to spring 2024, when feds caught May allegedly trading the horrific files on Kik, a social app popular with anonymous users.

Court docs paint a grim picture: May, using that politically charged username, reportedly asked for “bad pre teens” and exchanged more than 200 images and videos of the youngest victims imaginable.

He’s been locked up since his June arrest, after a judge shot down bond, and tried unsuccessfully to toss the search warrant for his home, laptop, and phone.

Prosecutors also flagged trips to Colombia under a fake name—evidence May fought to suppress—but the plea seals the deal without a full airing.

May Leaves GOP in Distraught

May’s rapid descent from GOP rising star to federal defendant has stunned colleagues who once hailed him as a conservative warrior.

Elected in 2020, he quickly co-founded the South Carolina Freedom Caucus, rallying the House’s most hardline members against establishment moderates.

He championed bills like education vouchers in April 2023, positioning himself as a defender of “parental rights” and traditional values.

But the irony cuts deep: A vocal critic of “groomers” and child exploitation in schools, May now stands accused of the very crimes he railed against.

Reactions poured in swift and unforgiving.

The South Carolina Freedom Caucus, which May helped birth, posted on X: “He will be in prison where he belongs. Our prayers continue to be with his innocent victims.”

The state House GOP Caucus echoed the sentiment: “Former Rep and SC Freedom Caucus Founder #RJMay will be held accountable for his crimes.

Our prayers are with the victims. No one is above the law and crimes against the innocent will not be tolerated.”

Neither May nor his self-representation has issued a public comment yet, but the plea caps a saga that’s left South Carolina Republicans scrambling to distance themselves.

With midterms looming and the Freedom Caucus already fractured, May’s guilty turn could ripple through primaries, handing Democrats fresh fodder on GOP hypocrisy.

For victims’ advocates, it’s a grim win: Justice served, but at the cost of exposing a predator in the halls of power.

As one prosecutor put it off the record, cases like this remind us that “no one’s untouchable”—not even the self-proclaimed guardians of morality.

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