Former South Carolina state Rep. RJ May, a Republican who repeatedly asserted that transgender people and drag performers posed a danger to children while in office, was sentenced in January to more than 17 years in federal prison for distributing child sexual abuse material.
May, 39, was sentenced on January 14 to federal prison after pleading guilty to five counts of distributing child sexual abuse material. U.S. District Judge Cameron McGowan Currie also imposed 20 years of supervised release following his prison term and ordered May to pay $58,500 in restitution to identified survivors.
The sentencing concludes a case that drew national attention both for the severity of the crimes and for the stark contrast between May’s public anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric and the conduct detailed by federal prosecutors.
According to federal prosecutors, May distributed hundreds of videos depicting the sexual abuse of children during a five-day period in April 2024. Court filings state that he sent 220 files a total of 479 times through the messaging app Kik, using the username “joebidennnn69.” The material was shared with users in 18 states and six countries and included images involving toddlers and prepubescent children.
“All of the victims in May’s videos were too young to protect themselves,” prosecutors wrote in court filings. “The content May sought out, possessed, and distributed represents some of the most degrading and damaging content that comes before any court.”
While serving in the South Carolina House, May regularly used speeches and online posts to argue that transgender people and drag performers endangered children. During a January 2024 floor debate on transgender-related legislation, he said, “We as legislators have an obligation to ensure that our children have no harm done to them.”
In a 2022 social media post, May described “exposing children to drag shows and pushing sex changes on toddlers” as forms of “child exploitation,” language he echoed in floor speeches and public statements while backing legislation targeting the LGBTQ+ community.
At sentencing, prosecutors highlighted the lasting impact of the crimes on survivors, including the ongoing harm caused by the continued circulation of abuse material. One survivor wrote that knowing strangers still view and share images of her childhood abuse has made it difficult for her to leave her home alone.
“She concludes that her normal life has been taken from her,” prosecutor Elliott Daniels told the court. “May argues his normal life has been taken from him.”
May resigned from office while the case was pending. As part of his sentence, he will be required to register as a sex offender for life and is permanently barred from holding public office.
The sentencing closes a case in which May’s public record as a lawmaker, marked by repeated anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric, including claims that transgender people and drag performers posed a danger to children, now stands alongside a federal conviction for distributing child sexual abuse material.