Rep. RJ May, R-West Columbia, listens from the back of the House chamber during an organizational session on Wednesday, Dec. 4, 2024 at the Statehouse in Columbia, SC. (Photo by Mary Ann Chastain/Special to the SC Daily Gazette)
COLUMBIA — Former Rep. RJ May will plead guilty to sending videos of children being sexually abused, according to a Friday court filing.
May, a West Columbia Republican and founding member of the ultra-conservative Freedom Caucus, has been in jail since his June arrest. His trial was set to begin Oct. 9.
May faced 10 charges of distributing child sexual abuse materials. He agreed to plead guilty to five of those charges, and prosecutors dismissed the remaining five as part of the plea deal.
May is expected to appear in court Monday afternoon to officially plead guilty. He faces between five and 20 years in prison for each of the five counts, plus fines that could amount to more than $285,000 for each charge, according to the plea agreement.
Prosecutors tied an account on messaging app Kik flagged for sending child sexual abuse videos to May’s home Wi-Fi and cellphone, they said previously. After seizing May’s phone and laptop last August, prosecutors determined May was the person behind the Kik account, according to court filings.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.