A former Republican lawmaker in the South Carolina House of Representatives was sentenced to 17.5 years in prison for distributing child pornography on the internet. Former Rep. RJ May “pleaded guilty in September to sending videos depicting child sexual abuse over a five-day span in April 2024,” South Carolina Daily Gazette noted. “RJ May was just sentenced to 210 months, 17.5 years, in federal prison after pleading guilty to five counts of distributing child sexual abuse material. May also must pay over $60,000 to his victims,” Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC) commented. “The hypocrisy is staggering. While serving in our State House, May publicly advocated for harsher penalties against those who exploit children. Behind closed doors, federal authorities say he was distributing hundreds of videos depicting child sexual abuse to predators across 18 states and 6 countries through encrypted messaging. This case is a stark reminder no one is above the law. Those who betray the public trust while harming the most vulnerable among us deserve the full weight of the law,” she continued. RJ May was just sentenced to 210 months, 17.5 years, in federal prison after pleading guilty to five counts of distributing child sexual abuse material. May also must pay over $60,000 to his victims. The hypocrisy is staggering. While serving in our State House, May publicly… https://t.co/8V6iuTcPYu — Rep. Nancy Mace (@RepNancyMace) January 14, 2026 More from the South Carolina Daily Gazette: After his release from prison, May will spend 20 years under supervised release, with federal parole officers monitoring his actions to be sure he doesn’t reoffend. He must pay a fee of $58,500 to the children shown in the videos he sent who government officials were able to reach. Prosecutors originally asked for a restitution amount of $73,000, plus a lifetime of supervision following his release. May’s defense attorneys negotiated lower payments to three of the survivors in an effort to make it more likely May is actually able to pay back the full amount. May will also have to register as a sexual offender for life. And, as a convicted felon, the former campaign consultant will no longer be allowed to vote or hold office. May resigned in August from the House seat he’d held since 2020. His successor, Lexington County pastor John Lastinger, was sworn in Tuesday, the first day of the legislative session. This case was “more severe than any other” involving child sexual abuse materials that Currie said she’d seen in more than three decades as a federal judge. The 220 videos May sent 479 times “include incest, force, rape, pain and humiliation,” Currie said. May’s messages suggested a much longer history of sending and receiving videos than the five days investigators were able to prove, she said. He knew who to ask and what to ask for to get the videos he wanted, and he seemed to have no trouble switching from the illicit messages to business calls, she said. According to The State, May said in court that he hopes to start a nonprofit organization after his release to “work toward eliminating child sexual abuse material.” “I think God wants me to direct my time and talent to the eradication of child sex abuse material,” May told the judge, according to the outlet. “I will do everything I can to make this right,” he added. Former SC Rep. RJ May sentenced to 210 months (17.5 yrs) in federal prison for distributing child sexual abuse material. Judge Cameron Currie says the abuse in this case was “more severe” than in any other case she’s seen. Federal prosecutors with @USAO_SC speaking now. @wis10 pic.twitter.com/43jURWIMML — Nick Neville (@NickNeville_) January 14, 2026 The State shared further: May apologized to the victims in the videos he distributed on the internet.+ He said he was sorry and, “I make no excuses. I am guilty of my crime, and I take full responsibility for it.” Years ago, when his marriage started to fail, he fell into depression and was “too weak” to seek help for his mental health issues, he told the judge. He recalled a traumatic childhood, being physically abused by a now-dead alcoholic mother and witnessing murders. He admitted becoming a “slave” to his sex addition and living “a double life.” May said after his house was raided, he started going to therapy. Recently, he has started church-based therapy, “nailing to a cross one’s addiction.” “I will do everything. I promise and pledge to do all I can to fulfill my obligations,” he said referring to court-ordered restitution. “I don’t expect forgiveness,” May added. He also said, “It took me 40 years to build a life I was proud of, and I destroyed it in an instant.” Watch additional coverage below: