Suspended SC Rep. RJ May Resigns Amid Federal Child Sex Abuse Charges

South Carolina State Representative RJ May has resigned following a 10-count federal indictment for distributing child sexual abuse material. May, a Republican who represented District 88 and co-founded the South Carolina Freedom Caucus, was suspended from office after his June arrest and has been held without bond pending trial. Despite maintaining his innocence and suggesting his devices were hacked, May’s resignation was welcomed by the Freedom Caucus and others who called for his expulsion due to the severity of the charges. The resignation triggers a special election to fill his seat before the next legislative session, with filing expected soon and the election process continuing through December. Prosecutors allege May used a social messaging app to distribute abusive material, with investigations linking his mobile device and IP address to the content. May faces a potential prison sentence of up to 20 years, a $250,000 fine, and supervised release, with a pretrial conference scheduled for August 20.