Politics in the Palmetto State usually moves at a certain rhythm, but the case of Robert John May III South Carolina lawmaker and conservative firebrand, completely shattered the tempo. One day he’s standing in the State House, a rising star of the ultra-conservative wing, and the next, he’s the subject of a federal investigation that would eventually lead to a 17-year prison sentence.
Honestly, the speed of it all was dizzying.
You’ve probably seen the headlines, but the details of how a sitting representative from West Columbia ended up in a federal jumpsuit are darker than most people realized at the time. It wasn't just a political scandal. It was a complete institutional collapse for the South Carolina Freedom Caucus.
Who Was Robert John May III South Carolina Before the Arrest?
Before the handcuffs, RJ May was the guy you called if you wanted to push the GOP further to the right. He wasn't just a backbencher. He founded Ivory Tusk Consulting, a firm that basically specialized in helping hard-right candidates primary more "moderate" Republicans.
He won his seat in District 88 back in 2020. People liked him. Or at least, they liked what he said. He was a Phi Beta Kappa graduate from the University of South Carolina and even had a Master’s from Tel Aviv University.
On paper? He was the perfect conservative candidate.
As a founding member and vice chairman of the South Carolina Freedom Caucus, he spent most of his time railing against "woke" ideology and institutional overreach. He was the guy talking about protecting children from what he called "harmful influences."
Then came May 2024.
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The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) got a "cyber tip."
It wasn't some random glitch. It was a report from Kik Messenger.
A user with the handle "joebidennnn69" had been busy. Very busy. Over a five-day span, this account uploaded and shared dozens of videos of child sexual abuse material (CSAM).
The Dual Life of joebidennnn69
When investigators traced the IP address, it didn't lead to a dark web basement. It led straight to May’s home in West Columbia.
Federal prosecutors would later reveal that Robert John May III South Carolina had been living a staggering double life. While he was voting on bills in Columbia, he was allegedly distributing some of the most "depraved" material the court had ever seen.
"He was elected to make a positive impact on his community, but instead he exploited the most innocent and vulnerable in our society," said U.S. Attorney Bryan Stirling.
The numbers are pretty grim:
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- 479 videos distributed over just five days.
- 100 different users contacted.
- 18 states and six countries involved in the distribution chain.
- 35 electronic devices seized from his home during the August 2024 raid.
Investigators found that the Kik app had been deleted from his phone, but the digital footprints were everywhere. His phone's "user dictionary" actually had the term “joebidennnn” saved in it. The same email used for the Kik account was linked back to his personal devices.
It was a total investigative slam dunk.
The Legal Endgame and Sentencing
May didn't fight it for long. He originally faced a 10-count federal indictment. By September 2025, he reached a plea deal, pleading guilty to five counts of distributing child sexual abuse material.
On January 14, 2026, the gavel finally came down.
U.S. District Judge Cameron McGowan Currie didn't hold back. She sentenced May to 17 and a half years (210 months) in federal prison.
In federal court, there is no parole. You serve the time.
The judge actually noted that the sentence was higher than average because the content was so severe. We're talking about videos of toddlers in physical pain. It was horrific.
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Beyond the prison time, the fallout was total:
- Restitution: He has to pay $58,500 to identified victims.
- Supervision: After he gets out (if he survives the term), he’ll be on supervised release for 20 years.
- Registry: He is a registered sex offender for the rest of his life.
- Divorce: His wife, Beth, filed for divorce shortly after the charges became public.
In a letter to the judge, May admitted he "destroyed" the life he spent 40 years building in an instant. He’s currently held in the Edgefield County jail awaiting transfer to a federal facility.
What This Means for South Carolina Politics
The vacuum left by Robert John May III South Carolina wasn't just about one empty seat. It basically neutered the Freedom Caucus for a while. They had to scramble to distance themselves from him, even though he was a founding father of their group.
His seat in District 88 is now held by John Lastinger, a Lexington County pastor who was sworn in just as May was being sentenced.
The irony isn't lost on anyone in Columbia. May often spoke about the "sanctity of the family" and "protecting the innocent."
The prosecution pointed this out directly. They noted that while he was publicly representing 41,000 residents, he was privately abusing the very concepts he claimed to defend.
Actionable Insights for Concerned Citizens
If you live in South Carolina or follow these cases, there are a few things to keep in mind regarding how these investigations work:
- Cyber Tips Matter: Most of these cases start with tips from NCMEC. Tech companies like Kik are legally required to report this data.
- Transparency in Governance: You can track current legislative ethics investigations through the South Carolina House Ethics Committee portal to see how conduct unbecoming of a member is handled.
- Victim Resources: If you are a victim of exploitation or suspect it, the Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force is the primary agency in SC for these reports.
The story of RJ May is a reminder that the public persona of a political figure can be a complete fiction. It took less than two years for one of the most powerful "moral" voices in the state to become a federal inmate.
Stay informed by checking the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of South Carolina website for updates on ongoing federal prosecutions and sentencing hearings.