Robert John May, III, a 38-year-old former state lawmaker from West Columbia, South Carolina, has pleaded guilty to five counts of distributing child sexual abuse material. The plea was entered in federal court.
Bryan Stirling, U.S. Attorney for the District of South Carolina, commented on the case: “The conduct May pleaded guilty to represents some of the most depraved and exploitative conduct we investigate. Our office will bring every resource available to protect children from violence and abuse. This prosecution was made possible through excellent law enforcement coordination between Homeland Security Investigations, the South Carolina Attorney General’s Office Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department and all those who work to protect the most vulnerable in our society.”
According to court records and statements presented in court, a tip received by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) from Kik Messenger indicated that between March and April 2024, an account with the username “joebidennnn69” distributed videos showing child sexual abuse 50 times over five days. Investigators linked this account to May’s home IP address and mobile device. Further investigation found that at least 479 such videos were shared from this account during that period, with most activity traced back to May’s home or phone.
Records from Kik showed that the account connected to May’s home Wi-Fi network nearly a thousand times and his cell phone dozens of times. A federal grand jury charged May with distributing ten specific videos depicting child sexual abuse.
A forensic review of May’s phone revealed use of the term “joebidennnn” in its dictionary as well as matching email information used for registering the Kik account. Several messaging apps referenced in messages—Kik, Telegram, Mega, Sessions—were deleted within seconds on April 4, 2024. The device also received more than 450 alerts from Kik while the suspect account was active; conversations on this account matched internet searches and app downloads performed on May’s devices at corresponding times. Both May and the user behind the Kik account used the pseudonym Eric Rentling.
May faces a minimum sentence of five years and up to twenty years in federal prison if convicted on these charges. He could also be fined up to $250,000, required to pay restitution, subject to lifetime supervision after release from prison, and mandated to register as a sex offender.
United States District Judge Cameron McGowan Currie accepted his guilty plea; sentencing is scheduled for January 14, 2026 following submission of a pre-sentence report by U.S. Probation Office staff.
The case involved Homeland Security Investigations working alongside state agencies including the South Carolina Attorney General's Office Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and Lexington County Sheriff’s Department. Prosecution is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Scott Matthews, Elliott B. Daniels, Dean Secor and Austin M. Berry from the Department of Justice's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section.
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